Worm: Plot Bunnies
by Fencer22
Summary: A bunch of one shots of varying tone, length and detail. Most are open for adoption or collaboration if that interests anyone.
1. Worm: A Western

I'm starting to go through my old one shots and notes, I'm cleaning up a few old ideas and working on some new ones, and I'm putting them up here so I can get feedback on them, see what people are interested in seeing more of. No schedule for these, just whenever I get one done or cleaned up.

So let me know what you think ladies and gentlemen odds are something from this thread will be my next project.

Don't own worm. Or much of anything really.

* * *

 _Worm: A Western_

AN: Alright as the title suggests this is a western. That's not the only change though. Character ages are being bumped up. Scion, Endbringers, Cauldron; none of these will be appearing, just assume they don't exist. Why? Because really screw them, they make writing Worm fics into a fucking headache. Characters are going to be varying degrees of out of character, mostly because of the time period.

I don't know how long this could run for if I continue it. Could be a one shot, or it could last for a story arc or two at best.

* * *

Miss Taylor Hebert; age 19

The morning sun was just peaking over the horizon as I pulled myself into Bonney's saddle. She's a fine young thing with sure feet and a beautiful grey coat.

She'd gotten me halfway across the country through mostly rough terrain, and I owed her my life a half dozen times over for getting me away from trackers, bandits and bounty hunters. More than that though she was worth her weight in gold to me for a simple irreplaceable reason; the beautiful, brilliant, maybe even blessed horse was comfortable enough to not panic when I used my… Well what to call it is a bit of a point of contention really.

I circled my camp one last time while checking the saddlebags to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. It wasn't likely given just how many times I had broken down similar camps over the past months, it had become a familiar habit, but it never hurt to check. Satisfied I lightly tapped Bonney with my heels and pointed her North East. I'd overshot the town I'd been searching for three days ago and not realized for a day and a half.

How I had missed the town by more than my roughly three thousand foot range I may never know. Still I was confident I'd find it today.

Oh how I was looking forward to a chance at a real bath! Months of riding with only the odd stream or lake for getting clean had left with a feeling of filth it would take hours to fix. My poor hair must look a frightful mess and the hat wasn't helping any, even if it did keep the sun off my neck and out of my eyes.

My state of dress was no better. My dresses just could not hold up to the stress of heavy traveling. They'd been nothing but tatters after the first month. I'd had to steal a spare set of clothes from cowboy. The chaps and jacket I now where were far too big. I'd managed to fashion myself a few pairs of shirts and underthings from spider silk.

Ah that is to say I'd made the spiders spin them for me. That's my, _ability,_ I control things; spiders, crickets, flies, bugs of all shapes and sizes really. It's the reason I'm wandering around the west end of Colorado in the first place.

I'd been chased out of my home town by a lynch mob baying for the blood of a witch; my blood, to be precise.

It's a not uncommon story really. Abilities like mine only come about at the lowest moments in a person's life. According to the church, well I suppose I should say every church as the idea has certainly found purchase with most every religion I've heard of, the abilities come from either God or the devil.

You see the theory goes that in that moment people reach out, asking anyone or anything for help… And sometimes, if you're lucky, or unlucky, something answers. God, the devil, some Indian spirit, or who knows what. So then they ask themselves, 'who or what answered?'

That's… Well that's where things get tricky. Some say you can tell by the type of ability if it was God or the devil, some say what we do with the powers is what determines who our patron is. There are other ideas out there but if you don't believe one of those two than most likely you fall into the third and largest group; the group that thinks anyone with abilities, with powers beyond that of mortal men, that we are all agents of the devil.

That group also happens to be the most likely to shoot first and ask questions never.

The government, the law, that was a whole nother story.

Some politicians called for the heads of people like myself. They loved to whip the masses up into a frenzy as a way to get more votes.

More level headed men said we needed as many persons such as myself as they could get. They claimed you needed to fight fire with fire and wanted to prepare for the inevitable waves of previously impossible crimes.

Many though hung back waiting to see how the winds would blow.

As for the law? How they reacted depended entirely on the opinion of the marshal or sheriff one ran across. Though many were wary to attack lest they find themselves fighting someone bullets can't kill.

Crimes are often attributed to people like myself, even if we are not responsible. I have bounty out on my head because some poor girl had died of a spider bite while I'd been in town and I'd been so unlucky as to be recognized by someone who knew why I'd been run out of my home town. Didn't matter that the poor thing was bit two days before I came to town. I'd been there when she died and that was good enough for the town sheriff.

The only stroke of luck I'd had since was my run in with miss Lisa Wilborn. She'd picked me out of a crowd weeks back when I chanced passing through a town for some things I needed. She's told me about her own ability and a small out of the way town, a sanctuary, for the _touched_ as she called us.

She gave me directions and saw me on my way before heading off in search of others.

I'm not sure what to expect but right about now I'm ready to take my chances on the strange girl. I'm not exactly spoiled for options what with the price on my head.

With a tired sigh I tap Bonney again lightly to keep her moving and chew on a bit of jerky, it's not much but it's all I've got for breakfast. I'd better find this damn town soon or I'll need to go hunting again. I hate hunting, I've only got bugs to do it with.

{}{}{}{}

It's mid day when I finally find the town I've been searching for, Snakes Den. It's a small place. But with signs of growth. A couple of wells and maybe a dozen buildings. All of it is nestled on the edge of a pine forest I could feel the nearby stream thanks to my bugs. There would be game around and there was a small mine nestled into the edge of the mountain not far away. It was a small town no doubt but I could see that it might grow.

Riding up the town's only street I drew a lot of odd looks, a woman dressed in mens clothes all too big is no common sight. I kept my hands close to my only real protection; a small two shot derringer. That and a real nasty thing I'd found a while back, a scorpion. It was a pale thing, more of a sickly yellow really, with a sting that would make a grown man scream and lasts for days. Both are hidden under my oversized jacket.

It didn't feel like enough.

I started pulling in the local insects, though I kept things as discreet as I could. Wouldn't do to give away my trump cards.

A small bar grabs my attention, it doesn't even have a name just a sign proclaiming it for what it is. I swing out of my saddle and hitch Bonney to the rail.

The place doesn't look like much, inside or out. Dirt covers the floor, and the table's a stained dark from spilled drinks. Several chairs seem to have mismatched legs and the air stinks of booze and sweat. It's an ugly place. It's empty except for the bartender.

Stepping up to the bar I approach the bartender who is swapping out empty bottles for full ones. He's an old thin man with raven hair and grey eyes.

"What can I do for ya, ugh, miss?" The man asks.

I favor him with a demure, if strained, smile. "I'm looking for a man called the Rattler." I can see his eyes widen ever so slightly. "A woman named Lisa sent me this way." I continue hoping her name will speed things along.

"Yeah." The man licks his lips and swallows. "Yeah, I reckon I can get 'im for ya, miss?"

"Oh! My apologies. My name is Taylor Hebert, mister?"

"Joe Branwen, but folks around here just call me old Crow." He gives me a small warm smile. "Go on upstairs, first door on the left he'll be along shortly." Answering the man's smile with one of my own I nod and follow his directions.

The room is sparsely decorated with a few chairs, a table and a liquor cabinet, but the walls a painted a warm cream color that I find relaxing. I only have about five minutes to settle into my chair before I feel someone climbing up the stairs through my bugs. The faint, dry, unending clicking of a rattlesnake slowly grew in volume as the person approached.

The door swung open to reveal a man dressed in a casual suit with the jacket left open to show his undershirt. He is not a very tall man, perhaps five foot ten. He is exceptionally thin and pale for someone living this far west, and on the heels of his boots rather than spurs are the tails of rattlesnakes, one per boot.

"Miss Taylor Hebert, some are calling you Miss Spider, wanted in the state of texas for the death of a young girl named Emma Barnes, bounty of five hundred dollars." He says as he reaches into the liquor cabinet and pours two glasses of whiskey.

I take the proffered drink and sip at it cautiously. It burns and I wish fervently for a even a bad white wine. Still the blessed numb that the whiskey promises drives me to take another sip. The burn isn't quite so bad the second time.

"Crow tells me that Lisa sent you my way?"

"She did." I hesitate for a moment then press on. "Though she was rather vague on just what it is you can do for me, and what it was going to cost me."

"And yet here you are." It's a statement but the question of why doesn't really need to be asked.

"I am a practical woman Mr. Rattler. When miss Wilborn offered me a chance I took almost a day debating my options. This was the only one to promise at least a moment's respite."

I take a moment to enjoy another sip of my drink.

"To be perfectly blunt sir, this is a gamble, and it is still the best option available to me."

He seemed to consider that a moment as he sips at his own drink.

"Are the allegations that you killed miss Barnes true?"

"No. The girl was bitten before I came to town. I was just there the day she died." He nods as if expecting this.

"You understand, that I cannot simply tell you everything that is happening here… That said you do need to understand this is a sanctuary for those with no choice but to live outside of the law. And that aside from the menial and physical, the only job to be found here is the oldest profession."

I shudder slightly at the thought. No matter what I won't be reduced to that.

"The only other real option is to find ways to leverage your, _unique_ talents for cash. Many have found that crime does in fact pay. My town serves as something of a safe haven for those who choose to do so."

I finished my drink in one quick gulp and asked for a second.

"You are suggesting I became, what? A bandit? Cattle rustler?" The man shrugs.

"Perhaps. Or perhaps you are better suited to a bit of spying or robbing a bank." He says as if discussing the weather on a particularly pleasant day. "You know your abilities best my dear. Similarly only you know to what lengths you are willing to go in order to live either in comfort."

The Rattler stands and places his now empty glass on a tray by the door.

"Please don't feel rushed. I'll pay for a few days room and board, food… just take a few days to consider. If you do choose to put your skills to use outside the law… I believe you'll find this town and I have a great deal to offer you. I'll have old Crow make up a room for you for the night. Oh, and welcome to Snakes Den, miss Spider.


	2. Poltergeist

AN: Alright this was an old idea I had about Taylor getting a variation of the Custodian's power. Her Dad drinking himself to death because he thinks she's disappeared and Taylor declaring war on the Bay because she has nothing left to lose and can't be harmed. The hook for this one is that it starts with a PHO interlude. Where it would go from here… I'm of two minds. I could do it like Guilt and write from the perspective of the villains she harasses, or I could do it from Taylor's POV, hell maybe a bit of both. Not super excited about this one because I feel like it would get repetitive or I'd have to invent a convoluted way for someone to actually fight or trap her, interesting at first but probably go down hill fast. Mostly I just love the concept, but yeah tell me what you think.

Don't own worm. read and review please and thank you.

* * *

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 **Topic: I'm Haunting the Bay**

 **In: Boards ► News ► Events ► America ► Brockton Bay**

 **Poltergeist** (Original Poster) (Unverified Cape)

Posted on January 29, 2011:

My name is Poltergeist. I, like so many others, was abused and trodden upon by a cape because at the time I had no powers of my own. Well I have powers now. I've done a lot of looking around. The capes of the world abide by the _unwritten rules_. A set of guidelines to keep things from becoming 'personal; leave capes civilian identities alone, leave their families alone, and do not kill.

The Bay has suffered under the heel of the gangs for decades because the so called heroes are worthless in the face of these rules, and the greater number of villains. I refuse to be cowed. To the villains of Brockton Bay, this is my declaration of war. I don't need my old life, or my old name. There is nothing left of them now anyway. From now on I'm just Poltergeist and I will hunt you down, I will make your civilian lives hell, and you will leave my city or suffer the consequences.

You have beaten down those who only have a civilian identity, and yet like the hypocrites that you all are you expect, if not demand, that your civilian lives not be disrupted in the manner which you destroy others. Too bad. I am coming for you, all of you, and I won't be playing by your damned rules.

Showing page (1 of 30)

► **XxVoid_CowboyxX**

OK… well that's hardcore and all but you are basically dead already if you try this you know that, right? I give you a week before you wind up at the bottom of the bay.

► **White Fairy** (Veteran Member)

I don't know if you are serious but if you are please, please, please do not do this you will turn the bay into a warzone!

► **Xyloloup**

Yeah, alright, you're dead, I hope you take at least one of the villains with you but you are so dead it's not even funny.

► **RedOne463**

Finally a cape with a fucking backbone! Give em hell kid!

► **GobStopper26**

Um yeah mods you may want to confirm Poltergeists Parahuman status… Check this out link. I just recorded that a minute ago. I'm in the Library here in Brockton Bay…. I think this is legit.

► **Asheram**

...Well holy fucking shit.

► **Clockblocker** (Verified Cape)(Wards ENE)

No, no no no no no no no no! Fuck this exorcist shit! I do not get payed enough to deal with fucking ghosts!

► **SexComa**

…. Who ya gunna call? Not Clockblocker.

► **WolfManRaj**

Ok… so creepy ghost cape… who can type at the computer while invisible and intangible… wants to go after the gangs… yay? Fuck this town, really can things get any weirder?

Showing page (2 of 30)

► **Poltergeist** (verified cape)

GobStopper26 stop waving your arm through me. It's annoying and distracting.

► **GobStopper26**

I'm sorry! Don't haunt me!

► **Armsmaster** (verified cape)(Protectorate ENE)

Poltergeist, threatening to kill anyone regardless of their legal status is grounds for charges of conspiracy to commit murder. Turn yourself in and the PRT will show you leniency.

► **SmartyPants639**

Has that worked, ever? I mean seriously?

► **Toothy**

Yes! Go to the light poltergeist! Err the heroes that is… not the afterlife.

► **Bare_Scare**

Armsmaster! Come on be honest with us, who told you to come post here? You almost never get involved, and never this quickly. Was it clock?

► **MentalPanda**

That's right $& % take your stupid threats and go hide behind the Protectorates skirt before you get yourself hurt!

► **Poltergeist** (verified cape)

Armsaster ahh yes, threats of reprisals and promises of leniency… How very, _predictable._ And tell me how many people have you already sent to apprehend me? Don't worry I'll wait for them, it's only polite.

► **Kenny637**

Well, you seem confident

► **AngelWings**

Video shows someone waving their arm through him/her. Y would she worry?

Showing page (3 of 30)

► **ninja_squirrel**

… Yeah I got nothing. How do you capture a fucking ghost?

► **Spectrum**

Tinkers are bullshit… Maybe one can come up with something?

► **Mingyu**

They could get a priest to try an exorcism?

► **Bobboky**

Poltergiest what are your powers?

► **Captain_Hamster**

… Has any cape ever actually honestly answered that?

► **Jedi_Babe26**

Hold up, backtrack, what do you mean by predictable? Poltergiest

► **Poltergeist** (verified cape)

You have to ask? If I was normal I would simply be arrested. But I am a cape. Allowances can be made because I represent a possible _resource_. Isn't that right, Shadow Stalker?

► **Neko_Kuro**

Oh shit. Are you saying those rumors are true? Did Shadow Stalker actually kill someone and get forced into the Wards?!

► **White Fairy** (Veteran Member)

Oh not this shit again. She's a hero!

► **Killer Cat**

Yeah yeah Fairy go back to your perfect litle fairy tale Tinkerbell, this is the real world and most of us agree things were fishy and I for one would like to hear what the new cape has to say about it.

Showing page (4 of 30)

► **Poltergeist** (verified cape)

Well kitty cat, I know she is on probation with the PRT, I know she watches crimes take place and won't step in unless the victim fights back, or someone else is with her on her Patrols. Oh, and that since she nearly killed me in her civilian guise and gave me powers I've been harassing her every night to deprive her of sleep. Feeling tired yet Stalker?

► **Pop Evil**

Hold up! Full stop! WTF?!

► **Bad Horse**

I… yeah I can totally believe that. PRT probly has more dirty laundry than a boot camp laundry room.

► **Demon_Squid**

Bullshit! I call Bullshit! Stalkers a freaking hero! If she almost killed you, you probably had it coming!

► **redcarpet96**

I, I'm gunna need some context here

► **Specific Protagonist**

Booh hoo, so some poor gangbanger got hurt by a hero woop de freaking do

► **Monster mouse**

Be gone foul demon, person, cape! I will not listen to your lies! I banish you in the name of Jesus Christ our savior!

► **Poltergeist** (verified cape)

Ha haha hahahahahahahaha! Me deserve it? A gangbanger? Context? Hahahahahah oh you poor, stupid, _sheep_. My name _was_ Taylor Hebert. I was trapped in my locker with what I can only call biohazard waste by several bullies who had been harassing me for the better part of two years and left to rot. Stalkers Civilian ID among them. No, that bitch is no hero, just a psychopath on far too loose a leash.

► **XxVoid_CowboyxX**

TAYLOR?! Holy shit, you're alive! And a Cape! And Stalker goes to our school! Holly shit!

► **Bare_Scare**

Wait, Cowboy you know Poltergeist?!

Showing page (5 of 30)

► **XxVoid_CowboyxX**

Dude, she was in my grade. Like half the girls in school were out to get her and the teachers just turned a blind eye to it. A few months back they had to call in a team with hazmat suits to clear out her locker!

► **Neko_Kuro**

Oh %uck all kinds of duck. That's, that's… god damn

► **WolfManRaj**

I'm gunna need a bit to process this but off the top of my head? You're never joining the Protectorate are you Poltergiest? Can't say I really blame you considering. Just going to hope you'll focus mainly on the gangs and leave it at that.

► **GobStopper26**

PRT are here. Lots of shouting about surrendering, waving foam launchers, not that I'd expect those to do anything, aaaaand some comments to the effect of it being illegal to reveal a Wards Civilian ID. God damn, that doesn't really refute anything Poltergeist has said.

► **AngelWings**

Run Poltergeist! Be freeeee!

► **Poltergeist** (verified cape)

The nice troopers are starting to give me a headache so I'll be leaving now. First though, to the Protectorate and PRT. you can't touch me, you can't capture me, you can't even see me, stay out of my way and get your pet Psychopath out of my city. To the gangs. This is your only warning. Get out.


	3. Anarchy

AN: This is a borderlands crossover. It is a bit rough, I feel like I overplayed the Armsmaster is a dick card buuuut, I can always adjust it if I feel like it later. Believe it or not I actually wrote the entire thing on my cell while riding in the back seat on a trip too Vermont yesterday.

Anyway you know the drill read and review!

* * *

Anarchy

I glance at myself once again in the mirror. It's not much of a costume… But the theme works well with my power.

Black combat boots scrounged from a second hand store and blue jeans are the most normal parts of the outfit. Rather than a normal belt I wear an old fashioned gun belt with a holster and loops for bullets which I have filled. The holster holds a .45 caliber revolver with a blade fixed under the barrel.

Tucked into my jeans is a black long sleeve shirt with a large bright red anarchy symbol on the chest visible from under my sleeveless buckskin duster which I've left open. The duster was by far the most expensive and hardest to find part of my costume but I was very happy with it. Just visible from under the jacket is a shoulder holster which holds my yellow fully automatic pistol. A brown stetson covering my head and a black handkerchief with white patterns over my lower face complete the outfit. Though the double barrel shotgun across my back certainly cements the idea that I mean business.

Carefully I heft the black bag holding my other guns over my left shoulder leaving my right hand free to go for one of my weapons should I need to. It's heavy, maybe forty pounds. Luckily I don't have far to go from here to the fast travel station.

Nodding I head out onto the street and start walking. What few people are out quickly take notice and get out of my way. One pulls out a phone and starts dialing. Probably calling the Protectorate, which means it would be in my best interest to pick up the pace.

I've never used a fast travel station before, but then I've never met the prerequisites before either. For the most part their reserved for capes, and even then it's restricted to emergencies and members of Anarchy. Well and people like me, people hoping to join Anarchy.

See most capes do one of two things, the join a recognized hero team, usually the Protectorate, or they join a gang. A few people have made teams of there own New Wave are the local example, and I know there is some catholic hero team down south somewhere. Then you have the inevitable loners but most of them get knocked off or absorbed into some other group before too long.

Then you have Anarchy. Anarchy is something special, something _unique_.

They started out with just two capes. Digital, and Shield. Working together the two of them carved out a place for independent tinkers by creating and maintaining the fast travel stations, the New-U stations, and the personal shields now employed by PRT troopers nationwide. But that was just the beginning. Pretty soon tinkers and a some other capes started flocking to their banner, and Anarchy was born. A way to fight against the established system and carve out your own place in the world outside of government control or subjugation by a gang. A group who traded materials, cash, tinker tech, and other services between themselves.

The final effect? An ever growing group of tinkers all fitted with a wide variety of weapons and technology.

And what did they use it all for? To knock over gangs and some tech companies and the like for cash and materials to keep the whole cycle of progress going.

Their methods and targets aren't always legal. Sometimes they leave nothing but corpses behind, but by that point Anarchy was already entrenched, necessary. The value of the New-U and fast travel stations when fighting Endbringers made them invaluable which isn't even taking into consideration the kind of firepower the group brought to the table.

Officially the government have declared Anarchy to be a gang with nationwide influence. Unofficially that's still true, but there really isn't much they can do about it except trying to bring the small time members to heel, or forcibly recruit tinkers before they can join Anarchy.

As I round the final turn a motorbike screams around a corner further down the road and comes to a screeching halt between the fast travel station and I. My eyes narrow as Armsmaster dismounts his bike and immediately brings his weapon to bear.

"Unidentified Parahuman, you are under arrest! Put down your weapons and surrender!"

Really? That's what he's going to open with? And people wonder why so many tunkers want nothing to do with the Protectorate. Hell, I'm pretty sure I _can't_ make anything non-lethal. No, I've got nothing to gain from the Protectorate.

"Under arrest huh? On what charges?" I lower the bag carrying my extra guns to the ground but leave my right hand hovering just over the handle of my revolver.

Armsmaster frowns at my aggressive stance.

"You are in violation of several state and federal firearm laws."

"I'm a tinker." I say with a shrug. "I make guns. No one makes a fuss about tinkers carrying their tech." Now Armsmaster is outright scowling.

"You are not a known member of Anarchy, but you shirt clearly indicates your intention to join." He shakes his head. "I can't allow a tinker who makes guns to join them, bad enough they recruited Bakuda."

"That's your problem." I say shrugging. "Thing is, you really don't have much you can hold me on." I move my hand up and pull out my automatic pistol, I let the gun rest against my leg not aiming just yet. "And I'm already planning to join a group who play fast and loose with the law." Armsmaster deepens his stance, moron. I've got a gun, your stance doesn't mean jack shit. "And I recognize the digistruct on your waste." Which means I don't have to hold back. "Walk away."

For a moment we stand there, neither moving. Then the moment ends. Armsmaster breaks out into a sprint. The secondary aspect of my power kicks in and I raise my gun and instantly have a bead on him. I squeeze the trigger and a veritable storm of bullets start pinging off his armor. For a second it doesn't seem to be doing anything but then as he passes under a streetlight the telling green droplets and mist become visible and I grin. Seems the acid is working. That ought to do a number on his armor.

The flurry of bullets throw him off balance slightly forcing him to abandon his charge and re-establish his footing. I holster the pistol and swing the shotgun off my back.

I can feel a manic grin spread across my lips as I pull the trigger twice in quick succession. The shot detonates as it impacts him, launching Armsmaster off of his feet and onto his ass.

Chuckling I take the time to reload both guns while Armsmaster groans from his place on the road. Finally I draw my revolver and make my way forward.

"You know," I drawl. "I really ought to thank you. I know Anarchy charges through the nose for New-U's. Between earning them some cash, the weapons I'm bringing for trade, and your bike too now that I think about it, I'm going to be making quite the first impression." I chuckle.

"Bastard." The downed hero manages to cough out along with a bit of blood. I only shrug at the insult. I've had to endure a lot worse after all.

I watch, fascinated, as the acid finally eats through his armor and starts on his flesh causing him to scream. I can't help but wince at the sound.

"Right, no reason for you to suffer. Might as well put you out of your misery and let you respawn already." I sighed.

The revolver kicked like a mule as I emptied it through the gaping hole in his armor. Only a moment passed before his body started to disappear as it was deconstructed. Sadly his weapon went with him. I'd bet I could get a lot for that.

Slowly the adrenaline bled out of my system and I had to fight off the urge to puke.

Armsmaster would be fine. The Protectorate would get a bill for his new body, but he'd be fine. I make guns. This is what my power does. It's all it does. I'd just have to get used to it.

Shaking my head I grabbed up my bag and slung it over the back seat of Armsmasters bike before pushing it up to the fast travel station.

"I'm a tinker," I said speaking into the built in microphone. "I make guns. I've got a few guns and Armsmaster motorcycle to trade for equipment. I'd like to join Anarchy."

"Name?" The voice was female, overly happy and had a slightly synthetic twang to it.

I hesitated, I'd been considering several names. None of them really felt right though several seemed decent enough.

"Name's, Caliber." I finally said settling on one of my favorites.

"Acknowledged. Temporary access to Anarchy central trading granted. Please Enjoy your stay."

A light engulfed me as the terminal scanned me then in a flash of light I was transported to a large room empty except for a massive yellow and black robot and four automatic turrets with similar paint jobs.

"Welcome to anarchy central station." A male voice proclaimed from hidden speakers. "Please disarm so we can discuss your application to join, your gear will be returned once we have verified your intentions."

I sucked in a deep breath and slowly disarmed placing the three guns I carried with the rest in my bag.

With a hiss a hidden door slid open and out of it walked Shield. He's a tall man wearing a business suit and a welder's mask the only indication of his status as a cape aside from the mask is a belt holding a digistruct device and a shield with a glowing orange core and elephant motif.

"Welcome to Anarchy, Caliber. Please, follow me." His peace said Shield turned and exited the room the way he came.

This was it. This is what I had prepared for, this is what I wasted Armsmaster for. This was the place for me, for tinkers determined to make their own way in the world, for capes willing to go to extremes to climb to the top. For people whose power could never be heroic.

With another deep breath I squared my shoulders and followed.


	4. Big Sister

AN: This one was inspired when I replayed Bioshock two a few weeks back. I had a fair bit of fun writing this though I did get stuck near the end. Now as for long term plans… Honestly I'm not that enthusiastic about this one. The plot would be a bit of wandering, then focus on Dinah, then I've got nothing. So we are talking really short and fairly predictable.

Read and Review! Please and thank you!

* * *

Big Sister

"Miss Hebert, are you ready?" The doctor asked.

Was I ready? I certainly didn't feel ready, but I had come too far to back down now. I just nod.

The doctor hands me a vial filled with glowing red liquid. "Remember, drink it as quickly as possible for the best results."

This was it. I wouldn't let anyone bully me again, and I'd be more than a bystander. I wouldn't just stand back and watch others suffer. I was going to be a protector. Taking a deep breath, I accept the vial and down it as quickly as I can.

{}{}{}{}

Humming tunelessly, I put some finishing touches on my armor, er, costume. Well I suppose it's both. A form fitting old fashioned divers suit made of material I'm not sure I understand fully but should survive small arms fire.

The diver's suit I've settled on for my costume is unconventional at best. Really the idea came to me one day while thinking it might be useful to get a look at the boat graveyard from below the water line. Ever since the idea crossed my mind I'd found hauntingly beautiful images remembered from tv specials about shipwrecks. I wanted to see that and the costume was good for keeping me safe so really it should be fine. Though I did suspect my sword sized needle would cause problems. Oh well, people would just have to deal with it. After all, how else was I supposed to collect blood?

The door to my little room slid open and a short blond woman I'd never met before walked in. She wore a business suit and her hair was held up in a simple bun.

"Hello, miss Hebert, I understand you'll be leaving us shortly?"

"Yes I will, miss?" The woman simply waved off my question.

"Well on behalf of everyone here I simply wanted to wish you good luck." She said as she offered her hand to shake.

Hesitantly I shook her hand with a cautious smile. As I opened my mouth to thank the woman though my response was cut off by a sudden sharp pain in my head and everything faded too black.

{}{}{}{}

As my eyes fluttered open the first sight to greet them was the breathtaking, hauntingly beautiful, scene of a trio of shipwrecks half hidden in the gloom of the dark murky water. The limits on my peripheral vision inflicted by my helmet only slightly detracted from the beauty.

Slowly and in awe I set to swimming through the wrecks, exalting in the adventure as my long powerful limbs let me all but dance through the wreckage.

Eventually though my curiosity drew me to the surface. Breaking free of the water revealed a city sprawled around the bay in which I swam. The intermittent lights glowing against the night sky. It, much like the derelict ships below me was also hauntingly beautiful, though here there was something more. The city lights promised life, people, hope even. It called to me, almost hypnotically.

I could not help but to answer and soon I found myself wandering the dirty, desolate streets. It was depressing, a disappointment. The city had seemed so much more inviting at a distance. Here, within the city, it was just as cold as the wrecks in the bay, but it lacked their haunting beauty.

Humming tunelessly, I stopped to look at my reflection in a store window. I stood at roughly six foot ten inches. My helmet is lit from within by red light so as not to disrupt my night vision. My limbs are long, thin, gangly even, but strong. All together I look almost alien. Pulling off my helmet reveals a heart shaped face, brown eyes, and short pixie cut dark brown hair. On my right cheek is an odd U or C shaped tattoo.

I tilt my head to the side as I take in my appearance. It seems… wrong. I'm not displeased by what I see, or at least not overly, but a part of me just knows that I have not always looked this way.

I frown in particular at the tasteless tattoo and the poorly chosen location. With another idle hum I place my helmet on a clip attached to my, well it's not exactly an oxygen tank, but it does the same job and looks about the same so the name works.

Dismissing the reflection, I move on deeper into the city.

{}{}{}{}

My head cocked to the side as I crouched on a low roof. I had followed a trail of small fires and destruction to get here. Here being the apparent aftermath of a fight.

Two people and some kind of monster lie in the middle of the road, both are burnt and broken though seem to be breathing, barely. Ahh, never mind one of them just stopped breathing.

Something about the corpse called to me. An impulse, an instinct, a need.

Leaping down to the still body I observed it carefully. I wanted something from it. Absently reaching out with my left hand caused my needle to click against the asphalt before my hand could reach the teens face.

...needle…

I cocked my head to the side and jammed the needle home into his chest. A vial at the base of the needle filled part way with bright red blood. I pulled the needle out of the corpse as I felt a slight pinch on my arm. The blood drained out of the vial, I could feel it surging through my veins like wildfire. It hurts but it's almost euphoric. The feel of static electricity arcing between my fingers draws my eyes to my hand which is sparking like a tesla coil. Humming I push the sensation away and the lightning subsides.

A gasp from the other injured party draws my attention. This one is a girl in what looks like a purple bodysuit, ah that is to say was a purple bodysuit. Most of her face and arms are scorched black.

Cooing I gentle brush at a bit of her hair, it's the only part of her head not burned. With a smooth sure motion, I ram my needle home approximately where her heart should be. For a moment her back arches and she stiffens, then she collapsed. Gently I reach out and close her eyes.

As the race of fire runs through my veins again I realize it would have been faster and less painful had a stabbed an inch to the right.

Humming I turn to go. There certainly isn't anything more for me to do here. After two steps I blink and tilt my head. Somehow I've turned all the way around. Odd.

"You're under arrest!" A young voice shouts. Turning I find a young girl in green whose face is half concealed by a visor.

"Hmm… Why?"

The young girl splutters. "Are you kidding me?! You just killed them!"

"Hmmm, nope~. The boy was already dead. I just took some of his blood. The girl." I shrugged. "She was dying and in pain. It was a mercy."

The young girl in green seemed unable to process that statement.

"Tch," a girl in black with a serious looking mask scoffed as she settled on the ground alongside the girl in green. "And here I thought this night was about to get interesting." The girl in green just glared at the girl in black for her comment, before refocusing on me.

"Who are you?" She demanded. It was probably supposed to look stern but was really only adorable.

I hummed and cocked my head to the right. "Don't know. Woke up in the water earlier tonight. The shipwrecks are beautiful." I smiled down at the two girls.

For a moment no one said anything then the one in black slapped a hand to her face and cursed.

"She's not a changer, she's one if the damn monster capes!" Well, she seems rude.

"Case 53." The girl in green said. It sounded a bit like agreement and a lot like a rebuke. The rude girl only scoffed.

Unbidden weak points in both their bodies came to mind. Ways I could disable them either lethally or nonlethally. It was, interesting. Most of the week points matched but there was something about the rude girl that was just out of reach.

"Listen we're heroes, the good guys. There are others like you, people who got powers that changed them, physically. We can help you get your life back together." The girl in green offered not unkindly. "I'm Vista, this is Shadow Stalker."

I hummed agreeably and pulled my helmet off of its place and gave it a once over before placing it back on my hip. "You can call me Bell." I said giving the two a warm smile. "Like diving bell."

Vista smiled back though she shot a glance at the dead bodies and her smile seemed to falter slightly. Shadow Stalker simply gave another snort of derision… I think I should go back to calling her rude girl.

"I appreciate the offer, but for now I'm just enjoying looking around." I said, turning to leave. Oddly enough trying to leave found me facing the two girls again. My puzzled expression elicited a wince from Vista.

"Err, about that, mercy killing or not you did admit to killing her. I'm also pretty sure there are laws against stabbing dead bodies. So you are under arrest."

Well… That just won't do. I still want to explore. Crouching I jumped twenty feet up and back landing on a nearby roof. Rude girl cursed before shoving Vista to the ground.

"Way to go, pipsqueak. They fucking got away! Fat lot of good you did." Rude girl sneered.

Bully.

Rude girl is a bully.

I screeched, a long inhuman sound, and launched myself down from the roof. With a quick sure motion, I cradled Vista to my chest. Another shriek at the bully and I launched myself away.

Vista screamed but I ignored that in favor of getting her away from the bully. Five minutes later I stopped and set the girl down on a flat roof. As soon as she touched down she stepped back and somehow came to be on the opposite side of the roof. I ignored this as well. It wasn't terribly important.

"Are you alright Vista? Did the bully hurt you? Why are you even wandering around at night with a bully? There nothing but trouble!"

"I, what? You mean Shadow Stalker?" I nodded. "I, she's my partner for patrol tonight I didn't choose to walk around with her the PRT assigned us to patrol together."

"You were, ordered, to go around the city, at night, with a bully!" I shouted, indignant.

"Umm, yes?"

I could feel myself trembling. I was going to fix this. I would give whoever's brilliant idea this was a piece of my mind, and quite possibly a piece of my needle.

"We are going there, now. I'm going to have a chat with whoever is responsible for this stupidity." My piece said I leapt forward and grabbed up Vista once more before slinging her into a piggyback. "Point the way, Vista." Not waiting for a response I leapt to the next building.

"What?! No! Ugh, wrong way, wrong way, wrong way!"


	5. My Name is Taylor

AN: This one is one of my earliest ideas and it was a damn good one, the only problem with it was at the time my writing skill were absolute shit. So here it is, remastered, built from the ground up into something I can actually be proud of. Remember to read and review ladies and gentleman.

* * *

My Name is Taylor

With a scream and a shriek of twisting metal the door of my locker blew off of it's hinges and I stumbled out in an undignified heap.

They had finally pushed too far. I'd weathered everything else the bitches three could throw at me without complaint, well ever since the staff made it clear I would get no support from them. Now though? Now for the first time in memory I wasn't just sad or depressed, I was angry.

Angry didn't quite cover it though. Furious, seething, enraged; all seemed better terms for the feeling of blood singing through my veins like a storm fighting for release.

They would pay. Ever blasted one of them was going to pay for this. I had power, I had evidence, and I was out of patience. If the school wasn't going to help then I just needed to go over their heads. And if for some reason they tried to stop me from going over, well there is always the option of going _through_.

Shoving a handful of _filth_ into the front pocket of my hoodie I marched towards the office.

I could feel my power flexing as I walked, little balls of light would materialize around me mostly in the hallway but a few in random classrooms and above the ceiling tiles. Stopping mid step I tried to figure out how I knew that. Paying conscious attention to my power I realized I was getting a sort of sense of where things are around the little orbs of light. From the ones in the classrooms nearby I can almost hear whispers.

Shaking off the thought I kept moving. Some of the balls followed me moving around me like patrolling aircraft. A quick thought saw them organizing into squadrons and flying a more distinct formation circling around me.

With control seemingly at odds with my current mood I opened the door to the office and marched past the startled, sputtering, receptionist and right into Blackwell's office.

There sitting in an old chair typing at an older computer was my first likely obstacle to justice. The poor woman looked utterly stunned at my admittedly disgusting state. The look on her face took an even more sour turn as she tried to fight off the need to vomit from the smell. Lucky me I'd already emptied my stomach and spent… too much time going numb to the smell.

"What?" With a snarl and another flex of my power I cowed the woman to silence before she could properly form a question. The fact that the now dozens of orbs of light orbiting us made me feel safer was not unwelcome either.

Reaching into my hoodie I pulled out the wad of refuse from the locker and tossed it smack dab in the middle of the woman's desk causing her to jerk back as a few flecks of rotten blood and mold splashed loose just barely splattering her jacket and shirt.

"I've spent," I broke off to glance at her office clock. "Two damned hours, trapped in my locker with a pile of shit just like that which went up to my knees." I seethed. "In that time I have begged, screamed, and cried for help. None of the students, or staff, did anything to help me. As you can see I managed to get myself out."

Blackwell looked torn between fear and nausea. Good, that probably meant I was getting through to the bitch.

"You always told me there wasn't any evidence when I complained about bullying, well I've got a locker's worth now and I don't think anything you can do is going to be quite enough to cover this up. Call the police, I want Emma Barnes, Sophia Hess, and Madison Clements arrested."

The woman's eyes widened in shock, and fear? Why the hell would she be afraid?

"Now, Taylor," She began her tone placating. "I'm sure it isn't necessary to involve the police, after all there is-"

One of my balls of light slammed into her computer monitor causing it to explode, others slammed into the back legs of her chair. With a shriek Blackwell and her chair tumbled to the floor and the now terrified woman started scrambling away from me.

"Not, necessary? Not necessary!" I screamed. "Oh it's well past fucking necessary, you incompetent bitch!" A trio of my light bombs, or whatever they are broke off from circling the room and instead made a small circle right in front of Blackwell's face. The extra light made it easy to see just how rapidly the she paled. "Just sit there and be quite."

Reaching over I picked up her desk phone and dialed 911. Maybe if I was lucky they could arrest Blackwell for obstruction of justice while they're here.

"911, what is your emergency?" A calm and cool female voice spoke over the line.

"A group of students trapped me in my locker with, with, God I don't even know what to call this crap. I was stuck their for two freaking hours before I blew the door off its hinges. The principle just tried to convince me that I didn't need to involve the police but I've had it! I want them arrested!"

"Miss, I need you to calm down. Are you safe right now?" I took a deep breath trying to follow the operator's advice.

"Yes, yes, I'm safe right now. Though I'm covered in, I don't know, old rotting blood I think."

"Alright miss, I know it's going to be difficult but I need you to not clean yourself up. The officers will want to take pictures for evidence. Now did you say you _blew_ the door off of your locker?"

"I," Shit, I should not go around telling people that I have powers. But, surely the police wouldn't go telling the gangs that I have powers. I could trust them, right? Besides how else could I explain saying I blew the door off it's hinges?

Hearing Blackwell whimper I mentally cringed. I suppose it was a bit late to worry about not letting on that I have powers. "Yes, I did. I'm sorry I just… I just got powers, in there, just now. I have these light, ball, things."

"Ok, miss. I want you to stay calm and whatever you do don't use them on anyone. Can you do that for me?" I wanted to be offended but glancing at Blackwell still cowering… I moved the orbs back a little bit. They now circled a few feet from her rather than six inches.

"Yeah, yeah I can do that. I, just please send someone to Winslow. The girls behind this are Sophia Hess, Madison Clements, and Emma Barnes. Though Sophia had to be the one to push me in. She's always the one who pushes me. I just can't put up with this shit anymore. Someone has to do something about them." I started to mumble towards the end.

"Ok, just one last question miss, what's your name and where are you right now?"

"My name is Taylor, and I'm in the principal's office at Winslow."

I could feel adrenaline bleeding out of my system taking some of my anger with me. Tiredly, I placed the phone back on the receiver only realizing too late that the person on the other end had started to say something else just as I hung up. It couldn't be anything too important though or she would have mentioned it sooner.

I slumped into one of the uncomfortable plastic seats Blackwell kept for students to sit in. slumping a bit I tried to get comfortable as I waited for police to arrive.

{}{}{}{}

Velocity

"Velocity, break off your patrol and head for Winslow high school." The voice of the trooper working dispatch crackled over my headset. I was pretty sure his name was Chuck… Though it might be Paul.

I took a moment to get my bearings before moving in what I was reasonable sure to be the right direction.

"On my way. What am I going there for?"

"PD got a call that they had to pass off to us. Patterson took the call he says we've got a fresh trigger threatening Stalker civilian ID."

I almost missed a step. That was bad, really seriously bad.

"Shit. I'll get there as fast as I can!"

"Head for the principal's office once you arrive, that's where the call came from."

{}{}{}{}

Taylor

Ten minutes of fighting the urge to take a nap by making the orbs my power produced fly in formation later I sensed, with that weird new spacial awareness my power granted me, someone slowly making their way through the outer office. I could almost make out the new arrival saying something to the secretary who, huh, when did she move to the corner?

I turned half around in the crappy chair leaning over the back and resting my chin on my arm. Now facing the door I waited for the new arrival to come in. Honestly I just wanted to get clean and get some sleep.

The door swung open to reveal a man in red spandex. I was, a bit surprised that someone had sent a member of the Protectorate instead of the Police, but I had admitted to being a cape so I guess it made sense.

Velocity took a moment to take in the whole room and just as I lifted an arm to wave he dashed forward in a blur and stuck something into my arm, before basically leaping back. Instantly I could feel my eyes start to close and my body start to slump.

"What?" I managed to mumble before my eyes slid shut.

{}{}{}{}

Velocity

Cautiously I opened the door to the main office taking a moment to glance around taking everything in. Depressing fluorescent lighting, walls painted something between grey white and yellow that seems to sap energy from the very soul, and desks covered in office supplies.

All in all exactly what one would expect… that is if I ignored the pale yellow balls floating in the room at various heights. Well at least that confirmed the presence of a cape.

A whimper from the back right corner of the room drew my attention to the secretary crouching in the corner behind her desk.

Internally I was whistling like a construction worker. Long blond hair, beautiful face, and her chest! Hello damsel in distress, why yes I am here to save the day! A glance at her desk as I worked my way towards her revealed a few CD's; Green Day, ACDC, Guns N' Roses! I have to get this woman's number! Right, game face, ladies love a hero in tights.

Crouching down to be on eye level I give her a reassuring smile.

"Hey it's all right. I'm Velocity, I'm here to help, talk to me, do you know where the cape who made those is?" I asked waving at some of the floating orbs. Shakelly the woman pointed towards the principal's office.

"S-she just marched in there. She was covered in blood!" The woman who's name I absolutely _had_ to learn hissed. "There was some shouting and few crashes but it's been quiet for almost ten minutes now." She said looking worriedly towards the principal's office.

Blood was a bad sign, stuff getting smashed wasn't good either and this girl was supposedly after Shadow Stalker… yeah the kid needed to get shut down fast. Luckily I'm as fast as they come. The PRT could sort the rest out later.

Pulling a tranquilizer from my belt I moved to the door and opened it cautiously.

The Principal's office had the same bland depressing atmosphere as the main office with the added bonus of a smashed computer, smashed chair, teenage girl covered in blood and a woman who was clearly terrified and had several of the girls balls orbiting around her head. I held back only long enough for a few of the orbs to move out of my direct path and kicked my power into it's highest gear launching myself forward and injecting the tranquilizer into the girl's arm.

She managed to mumble something before toppling out of the chair unconscious. Breathing a sigh of relief I pulled out some zip ties.

Now all I had to do was get the secretaries number.

{}{}{}{}

Taylor

Groggily I fought my way back to consciousness. The memories came rushing back a few moments after I opened my eyes to a plain white cell.

"That no good fucking bastard!" I screamed at the walls even as my power reacted as fast as thought and the balls of light started to materialize out of the air. "Let me out of here you bastards! I called the cops to arrest a bunch of bullies not me you fucking screwups!"

No answer was forthcoming.

Bastards! This was so fucking typical! Tell someone in power you need help and they just brush you off or make things worse! Bastards!

With a scream I sent a series of the orbs crashing into the cell door. The door dented slightly but otherwise held firm.

I was contemplating using more when a low pitched hum drew my eyes to the ceiling where several silver orbs jutted out from the ceiling. The hum reached a crescendo and arcs of electricity filled the cell. For a brief moment I could feel my muscles seize and spasm as I collapsed to the floor and my vision faded out.

{}{}{}{}

Velocity

"Velocity, explain to me why you felt it necessary to tranquilize a girl who called the police because she had been assaulted." Piggot's voice cut through the conference room like a scalpel.

"I, what? You mean the new villain I brought in? Dispatch told me she was threatening to attack Shadow Stalker." The hell was she talking about?

The director fixed me with a piercing glare before tapping a few buttons causing a recording to start playing over the rooms speakers.

Every sentence made a sense of dread grow in my chest.

"I, all they said was she was going after Shadow Stalker." It was all I could think to say after the recording finished playing. Sighing Piggot nodded as she massaged the bridge of her nose.

"I was afraid you would say that." Looking up the woman glanced around the room, a few of the higher ups from the PRT as well as Armsmaster sat around the table. "The things miss Hebert said suggest that Shadow Stalkers has been harassing her for an extended period of time. That combined with the Principles reluctance to comment to our officers and the disturbing way the information was altered before reaching you suggests that several people have been covering for her behavior. Walker, find out who was covering for her and why. That she was getting away with this is completely unacceptable."

Nodding the man stood and left the room at a brisk pace.

"Now, miss Taylor Hebert, a fresh trigger who was attacked unprovoked by a hero while attempting to report a crime committed against them to the proper authorities. She is currently sleeping off a tranquilizer. She's been cleaned up and changed into some fresh clothes. We've also given her antibiotics to fight off any potential infections, all in all she should be fine. That said, she has now been attacked by two of our people." I tried to sink a little lower in my seat without making it completely obvious.

"She used her powers in a school without any kind of costume. If she walks out our doors I give it a week until someone forces her into one of the gangs. That said she likely is not feeling very charitable where we are concerned, even ignoring the fact she does not know Shadow Stalker is one of her bullies."

The director looked around the table. She let that sink in for a minute.

"I need suggestions, how do we get her into the Wards, we can hold her for forty eight hours, but forcing her to spend that much time in a cell won't make her any more charitable towards us. It's possible holding her will cow her into compliance, but that's a bluff at best. So, what are our options, people?"

I tuned out the rest of the conversation. I wasn't a cop or a lawyer, just a guy with a mediocre power collecting a paycheck. I had little to contribute. This day just got worse and worse. First the secretary was married and now this?

Could this day get any worse?

{}{}{}{}

Taylor

Carefully I materialized my, you know what I'm just going to call them drones. I materialized my drones carefully in the gaps of the walls and ceiling. It wasn't a lot of space to work with but it would be enough. I spread them out slowly working them through the building. Things sped up rapidly once I found the ventilation. In my mind I could picture each drones location and it's surroundings. Slowly as they spread out a map of the building began to form in my mind.

Vaguely I could hear murmuring. Closing my eyes I tried to focus on the noise.

" _-it's just going-"_

" _-'s birthday-"_

" _-did you hear abo-"_

" _-watch it would y-"_

" _-Jack."_

" _-Taylor Hebert-"_

" _-dog chewed up-"_

" _-are we still on for-"_

I could hear everything overlapping some words jumping out here and there. Hearing my name somewhere in the din I tried to focus on that voice, on that area. Slowly the number of overlapping voices trailed off.

" _-burgers for dinner-"_

" _-kid loves spungbob-"_

" _-powers in a school-"_

" _-crumbs on your-"_

" _-not to call me that!"_

There! Powers in a school, that was the same voice that said my name! I can do this, just have to focus.

" _-No, you know how much I hate potato salad-"_

" _-know Shadow Stalker is one of her bullies.-"_

What? Shadow Stalker, a hero, is, is one of. It can't be that's just. But, but what if it's true? I mean, it would explain a lot. It would explain why Blackwell had covered everything. It would explain the Protectorate coming running when I mentioned the trio's names. It would explain why Velocity had knocked me out when I had been the one to call for help. With a snarl I focused on the more intensely on the conversation.

" _-get her into the Wards?- -hold her for forty eight hours- -holding her will cow her into compliance- -best.-"_

My focus slipped as my emotions surged. How dare they?! How dare they try and force me into the Wards after everything they had done! After all the trouble they had caused me! I wouldn't do it. I would never join these bastards. I redirected my drones back to mapping the building. I needed a better idea of where I was and what I had to work with. Getting a map of the base would be my starting point.

But what would be my next move? I needed to plan ahead. I needed support to fight back against the Protectorate and the PRT. I needed an angle I could use against them. I couldn't go to a gang for help… Well I suppose I _could_ go to the Empire, but as bad as the Protectorate seemed to be behind the PR lies the Empire was still far worse. No I wouldn't be going to Neo nazi's for help.

There was, one other option… New Wave. Heroes with no secret identity, heroes who hold themselves accountable for their actions. Maybe more importantly though one of the founding members is a lawyer.

A vicious grin started to spread across my lips. After all these months of my bullying being buried in part due to Emma's father being a lawyer the idea of having one on my side instead was to ironic to pass up. But how to reach them.

Slowly, ever so slowly and idea started to form and my grin grew ever wider, for a moment I fought an urge but quickly it became impossible to resist and I started to lough.

{}{}{}{}

Velocity

Half an hour of back and forth and we're no closer than when we started to figuring out a game plan. Honestly I felt bad for the kid, but mostly I just wanted out of this room. Knowing the director she was probably aware of that fact and it was the whole reason she hadn't dismissed me. Typical, I do the best I can with clearly false intel and I get punished for acting on what I'd been told.

The door to the conference room slammed open and some guy from one of the offices ran in panting lightly.

"Director, you need to see this!" He said, frantic and wide eyed.

The director just scowled at the man, who gulped before handing her the tablet clutched to his chest. Frowning the director looked it over. As she watched or read whatever was on the screen her face grew steadily paler before she abruptly stood and left the room without issuing any orders. Curious I and several others made our way over to the tablet. On the screen was a video. I clicked the replay button.

The screen showed the Protectorate headquarters out in the bay and above it a floating mass of light. Slowly the lights rearranged themselves into a giant letter, then another, and another.

 **MY NAME IS TAYLOR HEBERT. I AM BEING DETAINED. I HAVE COMMITTED NO CRIME. I WANT MY FATHER. I WANT A LAWYER. I WANT TO JOIN NEW WAVE!**

The message repeated itself three times. Before the video ended.

"How widespread is this?" Someone asked.

"It's all over the PHO boards, and I think a few local news crews have already picked up the story." The guy who brought the tablet answered.

Someone started cursing. I just made my way back to my seat and rested my head in my hands.

How the hell had things gotten so far out of control?


	6. The Saints

AN: This one is a Saints Row cross, it's third person which is unusual for me but seemed right for this one.

* * *

The Saints

Lung had just finished giving instructions for his men when a shot rang out. Turning to face the source of the noise Lung was stunned to find himself staring at a girl. She could not be more than twenty two or twenty three. Her hair was dark brown shoulder length and wavy. But more eye catching was the pair of white feathery wings growing out of her back and a the red devils tail curling from behind her legs and swaying slightly with each step she took occasionally twitching or curling upwards. She was dressed in a skimpy purple skirt and a tight purple tube top which was stretched by her sizable assets and left her trim stomach bare. Her only other clothes a pair of knee high black leather boots. Cocking her hip to the side she held her still smoking pistol, a dessert eagle of all things, up into the air and smirked.

"Sup bitches. I'm starting up a gang. Who wants to be a third street saint?" Her voice was full of mirth.

Lung stared incredulously at the girl for a moment before ordering his men to open fire. They did. The cacophony of gun shots filled the street. The girl just stood there, not doing anything and taking no injuries from the onslaught.

When the group's pistols clicked empty she raised an eyebrow and flashed a knowing smile.

"So that was a no then I take it?" With a leap aided by her wings the girl launched three stories into the air, before coming down like a meteor and creating a shockwave that knocked Lung and the gathered thugs off of their feet, sending them flying. "That's fine. I always liked the idea of hostile takeovers."

Lung leapt at the cape intent on incinerating the bitch… only to be knocked back by what appeared to be some insane cross between a speaker and a laser cannon. Lung could clearly hear the sound of dubstep playing over the explosions which were rocking him backward.

Changing tactics Lung prepared a fire ball only to be frozen in place by a blast of ice. Sneering internally Lung began to melt the ice, but was stunned out of his attempt by the feel of a large object being shoved into his mouth.

"Buh bye!" The girl shouted as she leapt away her wings pumping, pushing her higher and keeping her aloft. The sound of metal on concrete drew lungs attention downward to a sight he was terrified to recognize; the pin of a grenade.

"BOOM!"

{}{}{}{}

"I can't believe she just did that!" Regent said from Angelica's back. Admiration clear in his voice and on his face.

"She just killed Lung, without even breaking a sweat. Shit." Grue mumbled trying to process the unexpected chain of events.

"Guy's we should probably go before-"

"Hi there!" The girl with the extra appendages shouted as she flew over the edge of the roof the Undersiders were waiting on. "I'm starting a new gang that's going to take over the city's underworld, and you four seem like you would make great lieutenants! Welcome to the Third Street Saints!"

"Fuck." Tattletale groaned slapping her forehead.

"Mmmmm not right now. Still, good thinking! We're going to need prostitutes, and strippers! Lots and lots of strippers…" she trails off with a goofy smile on her face.

"I'm in!" Shouted Regent.

"Tattletale what the hell is going on?" Grue asked.

"We just got drafted into a new gang."

"You did, and were going to run this city in no time! Oh doggy!" The girl vanished only to glomp onto Angelica. "Aren't you an adorable little killing machine! Yes, you are, Yes you are! You are going to look so cute using Nazi's as chew toys! But we'll have to keep you away from the Merchants. We wouldn't want you getting addicted to anything they might have in their blood stream now would we?" The purple clad girl crooned as she scratched behind Angelica's ear, much to the canines obvious pleasure.

"That is not how this stuff works, or how we operate. There are rules, a protocol that people follow miss... Actually what is your name?" Grue asked.

"Oh, right. You can call me Boss! And I know all about the unwritten rules. I just don't give a fuck."

At that moment the Undersiders began to truly comprehend the depth of the insanity they were about to be dragged into. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, the sound of a motorcycle filled the air distracting everyone.

"Shit, Armsmaster! We need to go! If they think we killed Lung were going to have a massive target painted on our backs!" Tattletale yelled.

"Hold the fuck up! You guys can't leave yet! You have to stay for the show! And you, bug costume girl, stop trying to sneak off! I want to recruit you too! I bet you've got lots of potential!"

"Eep!"

Rolling her eyes the Boss turned just in time to face Armsmaster as he vaulted onto the roof with the help of some kind of grappling hook built into his halberd.

"Surrender at once! You are all under arrest!"

"You know I think I know the answer to this but what was it…" The Boss tapped at her chin as if trying to remember the name of an old classmate as opposed to the proper response to being arrested.

The bug costumed cape was spouting something about being a hero and not knowing what was going on. The Boss idly realized she would need to set the girl straight about how useless that would be before making her a lieutenant. The group that came on the monster dogs seemed to be panicking though so the speech about why being part of the Saints was better than being a hero would have to wait she decided.

"Oh I remember now!" The Boss exclaimed before starting to walk towards Armsmaster like a runway model, a cheeky grin plastered all over her face as her tail swayed in time with her hips.

"Oh no, this is not going to end well." Tattletale muttered.

"For who?" Regent asked.

"Who do you think?" Was the sarcastic response.

"Stand where you are or I will use force to subdue you!" Armsmaster shouted at the still advancing Boss. She ignored him and continued to walk forward her smile taking on a predatory edge.

"Fuck the police!"

Armsmaster stepped forward Halberd swinging at the Boss's shoulder. The Boss simply ducked under the blow and lightly stepped around Armsmaster standing back up to his right. In one smooth motion the Boss reached down to the front of her skimpy skirt and pulled out what at first appeared to be a baseball bat. That preconception was shattered as the rather normal handle was attached to what could only be described as a massive, rubbery, purple, penis. Regent started to laugh while the rest of the assembled teens could only stare in shock. The boss took a batting stance.

"Batter up!" She cackled as she swung her extremely unusual weapon. The blow caught Armsmaster squarely on his bearded chin, and launched him clear off the building and onto the roof of a warehouse across the street. The hero did not make any move to get up.

"Now we can go. You four lead the way back to whatever you're using for your crib. I'm going to have a chat with bugs here."

Deciding it was better to just go with whatever the crazy woman said for the moment. The Undersiders mounted their dogs and took off into the night while the Boss sashayed over to the bug themed girl with a much more comforting smile on her lips.

"So, you want to be a hero?" The Boss's voice was tinted with amusement but not mocking.

"I, of course." The girl in the dirty grey/yellow body suit and obviously insect themed mask mumbled. She took a cautious step back from the winged woman. A low buzzing began to fill the air.

"Great, why?" The question should be insulting or demeaning, but it's not. It comes with open curiosity devoid of condescension.

The buzzing sound cut out, and the teen before her seemed to gawk though her mask made it hard to be certain.

"I, I want to make the city a better place, and." The girl cut herself off and looked away from the Boss.

"And?" The Boss prodded kindly laying a hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

Slowly hesitantly the younger girl answered in a whisper. "I want to be better than them."

"Has that helped any? Being better than them? Whoever they are. A moral victory is nice, but it usually doesn't change anything. That's part of why this city is such a shit hole. Heroes just don't do permanent so then the bad guys break out and it's all the same." The Boss hummed thoughtfully. "Tell you what, take this." From seemingly nowhere the Boss pulled out a burner phone.

"I'd like to have a long talk with you sometime, but right now I have a group of mutant dogs to follow. My numbers programmed in there, give me a call tomorrow, we'll meet and talk."

Hesitantly the teen accepted the phone, and nodded. Getting a brilliant smile from the Boss in response. "Good I'd hate to let a newbie run around uninformed of how things work. And take it from me, things will get better. Catch ya later." With that the Boss launched into the air, wings beating to keep her aloft and followed the gouged up trail the dogs left in their wake.

The bug costumed girl spent a few minutes simply standing and staring at the burner phone before slipping it into a compartment built into the back of her costume. Finally, she left, making her way down from the roof and heading for home.

{}{}{}{}

The Boss calmly followed the quartet of fidgeting teens into the loft which made up their, well not lair, honestly pad, or if one wanted to be British about it; flat, seamed more appropriate what with the clutter of takeout boxes and empty cans lying around.

"Alright well it's a decent start but this place isn't nearly big enough. There needs to be bar, a dance floor, stripper poles, hot tubs, more stripper poles, a garage full of kick ass rides, a fuck ton more purple, aaaand more stripper poles. But hey it's a starter base we'll upgrade once we get some serious cash." The Boss idly declared as she took in the setup completely ignoring the incredulous looks she was getting from everyone but Regent.

With a negligent sigh she dropped onto one of the couches and was quickly dead to the world and snoring lightly. Silence reigned for a time before Tattletale through up her hands and simply marched to her room grumbling about dealing with it tomorrow. Slowly the others followed suit. The boss grinned in her sleep dreaming dreams of conquest and strippers.

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An: help me come up with a none cape name, seriously at a loss for some reason, also is Boss a suitable cape name? Should she be convinced to change it? Right remember go to my profile page and vote for your favorite, I finally figured out how to get it to show up! Winner gets its own thread runner up will probably get one, hopefully soon. The rest will be eligible for adoption and maybe collaboration if I've got time.

As always read and review, and don't forget to vote, in both the presidential election and for your favorite plot bunny!


	7. The Grimm Queen

An: Finally, I've been fighting with this plot bunny for weeks! It just would not leave me alone! Anyway, I always thought that team RWBY would have things a lot tougher if something kicked off Weiss and Blake's debate about the white fang and faunus in general earlier in canon. And when I started working to incorporate characters from worm into RWBY… Well this is what I came up with. Still not really happy with it, I've spent too long getting comfortable with first person, I'm convinced my third person writing needs work. I'm also not happy because I ended up doing the whole big reveal in the first post… I don't know muse would not leave me alone until I wrote that part out. Anyway, hope you enjoy and as always, feedback would be greatly appreciated.

* * *

Teams had been assigned and the first years all prepared to head off to their dorms, when professor Ozpin asked that team RWBY and team JNPR join him in his office. Shrugging the eight students followed him.

Exiting the elevator, they teens took in the professor's office with varying levels of impressed looks. The massive gears in the ceiling made a symphony of creaks and groans that was oddly soothing. The desk itself was simple though the numerous glass windows gave an amazing view of the city of vale lit up with lights from storefronts and windows. Standing in front of one of the windows is a tall thin girl. She wears black combat boots and grey pants as well as a brown jacket.

Two weapons rest across her back, the first is a bullpup style sniper rifle, it rests in a harness of sorts over her left shoulder. The girls other weapon is a large bowie knife sheathed at the small of her back with the handle pointing to her right. Despite this, the girls most striking feature, at least from the back, though most likely the front as well, is her hair. Or rather it's the brown feathers she has instead of hair.

The girl turns revealing brown eyes, a small nose, and a green shirt underneath her half open jacket. On her waist is a metal emblem of a black feather with a jagged line of electric blue lightning wrapped across it. She takes in the new arrivals with cautious eyes and a tense posture.

"Teams RWBY and JNPR, may I introduce Taylor Chouette." Blake and Weiss both sucked in sharp breaths at the girl's name something that the now introduced Taylor does not fail to notice. She also notices Weiss fingering a small charm bracelet. "Miss Chouette, may I introduce team RWBY. Their leader Ruby Rose, her elder sister Yang Xiao Long, Weiss Schnee, and Blake Belladonna." The girls all nodded or waved. "And team JNPR, Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren."

"I feel I must apologize again, miss Chouette. I invited miss Ross to attend late, and unbalanced the number of potential students. I had assumed that as with most years we would see at least one student fail to pass initiation. However, this year's students proved remarkably capable."

"Sir, um, I'm not sure I understand-" Ruby started to ask.

"Of course, miss Rose. Students are grouped into teams of four. The number of students who participated in initiation when divided by four, left a remainder of one this year. In other words, there would always be at least one student who could not find a partner. In this case that student was miss Chouette. She retrieved a relic and returned to the clifftop on her own. Normally at least one student fails and this is not an issue, but in this case every student passed." Ozpin paused to sip his coffee.

"I'm hoping that one of your teams would be willing to take on an extra person until a spot opens up." Several of the teens winced at the reminder that they were very much at risk of death or debilitating injury in this line of work.

Taylor gave a hesitant smile to the rest of the group.

"Sure." Both team leaders responded without really giving it any thought whatsoever.

Taylor mouth dropped into an "o" and her eyes went wide in surprise. The look lasted only a moment before a genuine happy smile spread across her lips. Ozpin favored the young teams with his own slight smile.

"Well then, miss Chouette, do you have a preference?"

"Oh, well uh, rooming with all girls would make things simpler I guess." She said, but paused with a grimace. "Though only if she stops fingering her holdout weapon." Taylor said as she pointed to Weiss, getting confused and shocked looks from the rest of the room.

"How did you know?! Weiss demanded in an almost shriek.

Taylor calmly showed the group a ring depicting an eagles head on her right hand. Then, for just a moment, the ring sparked with electricity. "Saved my life once." She said as she reverently rubbed the ring with her thumb. "Since then I've gotten pretty good at spotting jewelry with hidden dust."

Shaking her head Weiss resumed glaring at the feathered girl. "Regardless, I refuse to share a dorm with _you_."

Taylor stiffened, a scowl on her lips.

"Weiss," Ruby's tone was a bit frigid. Ruby was tired, and her partner was being rude to the girl who lost her spot on a team because Ruby had been admitted two years early. Not only did Ruby feel she owed the girl, but not even an hour after being made team leader Weiss was already outright ignoring her decisions. Frankly, Ruby was a little annoyed. "You're being mean, and I already said she could stay with us." The little reaper growled… It was a more adorable than intimidating, but it got her displeasure across.

Weiss opened her mouth to respond but Taylor beat her to it. "It's fine, Ruby was it? I should have expected it from her." Taylor said giving the Schnee the stink eye. "I don't want to mess up your teamwork before you even get it sorted out. Jaune, right?" The blond nodded. "Any chance I can take you up on that offer?"

Jaune looked back and forth between the three girls before shaking off his confusion. "Ugh, yeah, sure. No problem." Taylor gave the blond a grateful nod.

"Don't be surprised if I shuffle you from team to team, miss Chouette. Your skills make you ideal for support, and I'd like to get you experience working with different groups." Ozpin stated sipping at his coffee. "Team RWBY, I'd like you to stay a moment, Team JNPR, miss Chouette, you are dismissed."

Taylor gave a curt nod before heading to the elevator with JNPR.

The door had barely shut before Weiss started talking. "Sir, what is she doing here! Surely you can't-"

"Enough." Ozpin's voice was firm. "Miss Schnee, your behavior just now was unacceptable."

Weiss squawked. "My behavior?! But she's-"

"I am well aware of her history, miss Schnee. Though I'm beginning to think you are only familiar with what others made of her actions, and not the actions themselves." Ozpin said with a slight frown. "In the future, you would do well to think before you speak, and make sure that you are in possession of all the facts. Now, you are all dismissed."

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"Weiss, what the was that about?!" Ruby shouted. "You made us all look bad in front of professor Ozpin! And you were totally rude to Taylor!"

"She's a murder!" Weiss shouted. "She's the one who inspired the filthy white fang to start attacking people!"

Before Ruby could even begin to respond Blake had moved across the room and slapped Weiss across the face. The smaller girl was knocked off her feet and stared up stunned and angry.

"Don't." Blake hissed. "Don't. You. Dare. That girl was a victim who had to fight for her life! So, don't you dare call her a murderer for what she did!"

"Enough!" Ruby shouted, rose petals flying off of her. Things had been going so well towards the end of initiation, and already they were falling apart. "We'll talk about this tomorrow, after class. For now, everyone just go to bed. It's been a long day and we need to be up early tomorrow." Blake and Weiss moved to beds on opposite sides of the room glowering at each other the whole way. Ruby visibly deflated once the two girls crawled into bed.

She had not expected to have to deal with this kind of thing when Ozpin made her team leader.

The little red reaper squeaked as her big sister gave her a hug from behind before relaxing into the calming embrace. She would work it out. She had too.

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"So, Taylor, why was Weiss so umm" Jaune trailed off searching for the right word.

"Bitchy?" Norra chirped, making Jaune palm his face and Taylor snort.

"It's a long story, and not something I like talking about." Taylor said dully. "Could we talk about this some other time." She asked looking away from the group.

Ren reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder. Taylor looked up at the boy in surprise. "You can tell us when you're ready." With a grateful nod, Taylor and the others turned in for the night.

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Classes for the two teams started off with an atmosphere of restrained tension. Weiss glared constantly at Blake, at Taylor, and even at Ruby. Blake was doing an admirable impersonation of a glacier and ignoring the fact that Weiss existed. Ruby was too distracted by thoughts of her team to pay any attention to professor Port's rambling. Instead she spent the class frowning and tapping at her notebook.

Team JNPR on the other hand could not help but shoot nervous glances back and forth between Taylor and Weiss. Taylor had chosen to simply ignore the heiress and was instead focused on a back corner of the room with a puzzled look on her face.

"Now then," Professor Port said as he wrapped up his story. "Normally I would ask for a volunteer. However, this year there is something I'm rather excited to see in person. Miss Chouette, I've heard a great deal about your semblance and I would greatly appreciate the chance to see it firsthand. Would you be willing to give us a small demonstration?"

Taylor gave an anxious look around the room at the now curious faces. Taylor did not want to show off her semblance. The usual response to her semblance was… Well fear, paranoia, disgust… Some people thought it was amazing, just not most. Still, she had been singled out in the middle of class. To back down would only make her classmates more curious. Better to get it out of the way now with a teacher on hand to spin how people thought about it.

With a resigned sigh, Taylor nodded and pulled her knife from her bag. The blade is ten inches long with a line of yellow dust running up both sides. Several students are surprised when she forgoes leaving to change into her combat clothes but keep the speculation down to low muttering.

Excitedly Port pulled out a cage from a back closet and with a swing from his axe/blunderbuss hybrid broke off the lock. A boarbatusk leapt from the cage with an indignant snort before locking its eyes on Taylor who stood there completely relaxed, bored even. After all she had already known what was in the cage. Her semblance let her sense the grimm, and what it was, now there was only one thing left for her to do.

Taylor's eyes took on a bloody red glow to match the grimms before both sets of red eyes flashed back to brown. The grim dropped to one of its front knees and lowered its head as if bowing. The classroom exploded into hushed conversations.

"My semblance lets me sense and control grimm." Taylor said loudly getting the classes attention and putting an end to the muttered debates. "Numbers aren't an issue. I've controlled whole hives of rapier wasps before, but there is a mass and distance limit, those have been growing the more practice I get with my semblance."

Around the classroom reactions were vastly varied. Most saw the combat potential of such a semblance, it would be a huge asset against the grimm. But following on the heels of that revelation was the question, what kind of damage could someone do with a semblance like that? A few even went so far as to question what it said about the girl as a person if the representation of her soul is to control evil and hate incarnate. Those asking the last question did not come to very charitable conclusions.

Back at the front of the classroom the grimm rolled onto its back, offering up its soft underbelly. Taylor drove her knife in and with a quick sure motion cut the grim from neck to tail. It did not so much as flinch or groan as it died.

"Stupendous! Wonderful!" Professor Port shouted as he clapped excitedly. "Miss Chouette, I sincerely hope that when you select a combat mission in the future you will keep me in mind as your teacher chaperone. I do believe the sight of grimm being used to kill other grimm would make for a magnificent story!"

With a small grin and a "Yes professor" Taylor rejoined her temporary team as the bell rang dismissing the class.

"Ren, this is fantastic! Do you realize what this means?!"

"...No?"

"Our team has two queens now! The queen of pancakes _and_ grimm!" Nora shouted. The rest of her rant was lost to the wind as they rounded the corner.

Yang groaned theatrically and banged her head against her desk. "We could have had grimm fight each other in a pit or something, and sold tickets! Think of all the lien we could have made." She bemoaned. "I'll bet we could have gotten a pay per view deal! Imagine how many people would pay to see grimm kill each other! Not to mention setting up a betting pool!"

Ruby and Blake chuckled lightly at the blonde's antics. Weiss on the other hand scowled.

"Are you insane! This just proves she's evil! The representation of her soul is the ability to control monsters!"

Blake glanced at the disintegrating Boarbatusk before glancing back at Weiss. "I'm sorry for your loss, Weiss. I didn't realize your father was a _literal_ pig." Her three teammates eyes went wide at the catty comment. Blake for her part sashayed out of the room ignoring the seething, and sputtering, heiress.

A moment later Weiss stormed from the classroom and Ruby slammed her forehead into her desk mumbling incoherently as her sister patted her on the back reassuringly.

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The first combat class was held an hour after lunch. Taylor looked out of her depth as she talked with Nora… well, listened to Nora talk. The rest of JNPR watched with varying levels of amusement.

Team RWBY by contrast were spread halfway across a bench with Weiss and Blake as far apart as they could get. Ruby was seriously considering locking the two in adjacent cages and leaving them there until they worked it out.

"Right then." Goodwitch wrapped up her explanation of the class and the various safety features and protocols. "We have just enough time for a match so"

"I challenge, Taylor Chouette!" Weiss shouted standing in her seat. Blake scoffed, Yang palmed her face, and Ruby put her head in her hands.

"Miss Schnee, while I admire your enthusiasm,"

"It's fine with me, professor." Taylor called out, surprising everyone.

Professor Goodwitch fixed Taylor with a small frown before finally nodding. Taylor left her sniper rifle with Ren. She didn't really trust Nora not to play with it, and headed for the arena floor.

Weiss stood in the perfect fencer's pose. Taylor had dabbled in fencing when she was learning to knife fight, and she had a hunch she knew exactly what the girl was about to do. Taylor matched Weiss, also getting into a fencing stance causing the heiress to grit her teeth assuming that Taylor was mocking her. Taylor remained impassive watching her opponent for any tells.

"Begin!"

The moment the word was uttered a glyph appeared underneath Weiss and launched her forward. Taylor expected something like this though and put her plan into action. She relaxed her leading leg and kicked her back foot back and to the side. Without any support gravity took hold and dragged her towards the floor even as she leaned forward and extended her knife arm. Slapping down the hand not holding her knife and re-tensing the muscles in her leg stopped her drop with her chest only a couple of feet off the floor.

A picture perfect passat asotto; a body displacement move. Weiss, not expecting it, hit nothing but air; her rapier flying through space previously occupied by Taylor's chest. Her headlong charge was uncontrolled thanks to the propulsion from her glyph and her abdomen slammed into Taylor's outstretched knife. Weiss's own momentum worked against her as she was almost bent over the knife blade and a significant chunk of her aura disappeared with the counter attack.

Taylor wasn't finished though. With a burst of aura, a lightning bolt launched from her knife and into Weiss causing the girl to scream and spasm from the electricity. Taylor took full advantage of the opportunity to get her feet back under her and slash away at Weiss. Her aura fell into the red before she regained control of her muscles.

When Professor Goodwitch called the match most of the class was stunned into silence with the notable exception of a wildly cheering Nora. Taking in the stunned looks Taylor just sighed before making her way back to her seat.

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"That was amazing!" Nora cheered as the group headed for the dorms. "She was all 'grr' and you were like 'meh' and then she went 'whoosh' and you just went 'nooope~' and then you were like 'bzzzzzzz!' And she was all 'hrrk' and you were all slice and dice!" Nora enthused, acting out the motions as she went.

Taylor chuckled weakly. "Really, it's not such a big deal. I'm familiar with her fighting style, and she really does not like me. Going into the fight pissed like that made her predictable. I'd bet she's a lot tougher to beat when she keeps a level head."

"Perhaps," Phyrra cut in. "But she challenged you. To challenge someone without being able to face them rationally shows poor judgment which is a serious flaw she needs to address."

"You!" Weiss shouted jumping in front of team JNPR and pointing dramatically at Taylor who just groaned.

"There is no way I can accept a loss like that!"

"Weiss, enough already!" Ruby shouted. Storming up to the heiress scowling adorably. "She won fair and square. You're just mad that you lost."

"That wasn't a fight! She got in one good hit then disabled me, that is not a fight!"

"Well then you probably won't ever get a 'fight' from me." Taylor deadpanned. "My whole style revolves around one hit kills and debilitating strikes like I used against you. Drawing out a fight is stupid and likely to get you killed."

"Sounds like the perfect style for a killer like you!"

For a long moment, no one moved as the accusation hung in the air. Then Taylor snatched the hand Weiss was using to point at her and held it tight. Lightning arced off the girl's ring and from it to the Schnee heiress. Taylor kept it up until Weiss passed out. Throwing the smaller girl over her shoulder Taylor turned to address team RWBY and JNPR.

"My last school I tried ignoring everything and just let the rumor mill go nuts. That, did not work out so well… I promised JNPR an explanation at some point, princess here isn't going to lay off until she hears the truth… If the rest of you want, I'll tell you too. But I'm going to ask that if people start talking you set the record straight for me. Because I don't like talking about this. That sound fair?"

Hesitantly both groups nodded and followed Taylor back to the dorms.

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Weiss woke up duct taped to a chair in JNPR's dorm room. Thankfully for everyone's ears, her mouth was also sealed by the wonderful silver tape.

"Oh finally, I thought she would never wake up!" Yang said. "Now we can have our story time!"

"It's a pretty crappy bedtime story, Yang. More like something to give kids nightmares." Taylor said. The blonde boxer only shrugged.

"Right, well, it all starts about three years was a string of murders out in Vacuo. Only pattern the police could find is all the victims are faunus, and all of victims had their animal trait cut off." Everyone even Weiss seems disgusted.

"Basically, the murderer considered herself a big game hunter, and it was open season on faunus, and she liked keeping trophies. So, one night I'm at home, in bed, and I hear a fight downstairs. I haven't made my own weapon yet so we have three in the house; Mom's old punch dagger was with me in my room, Dad kept his rifle close by, and my ring." Taylor says reverently rubbing at her ring. "The ring was something Dad gave me when I started going on runs early in the morning, to keep me safe."

"So, I get downstairs and Dad's fending of a hatchet with the body of his rifle. Only he's fighting a second-year huntress trainee and Dad's rifle was a piece of crap… She broke right through it. Next swing caught Dad in the neck."

Taylor stopped talking. For a good minute or two she simply stared at the floor as she tried to recompose herself. Ruby is crying silently in Yang's lap as the older girl hugs her sister close. Blake has her eyes closed and her head bowed. Pyrrha and Jaune are both horrified. Nora is uncharacteristically quiet with a look just as serious as her partners. Weiss is wide eyed and unable to look away from Taylor.

"That's when I jumped in. We fought, she kicked my ass. Broke Mom's dagger and had me pinned to the floor. I managed to grab the barrel of Dad's rifle and took a swing at her. That was the first time all night she used her semblance. She turned into some kind of mist. Blow went right through her. I was scared, angry, and desperate. I converted all of the yellow dust in my ring into electricity and sent it right through the gun barrel and into her chest. It knocked her out of her shadow state, with the gun barrel still going through her lung, and me still channeling electricity straight into her. Stopped her heart and cooked her right lung." Taylor relaid with a sort of detachment as she looked out the dorm window at nothing. No one said a word.

"Once the story got out my name, my story, became a rallying point for the extremists in the white fang. Little faunus girl fighting back against a bigger more skilled human, avenging the murder of her own father and more than twenty other faunus? I was better than a martyr I was a living symbol of defiance. Then Vacuo tightened up their psych evaluations for hunter trainees to prevent similar incidents. Twenty-six faunus and one human death. That's all it took for a real change to happen." Taylor spat bitterly.

"That was the tipping point, the extremists had real tangible proof that violence can force a change in the government. Suddenly their arguments are legitimized, they won more faunus over to their way of thinking, they had momentum. And before you know it a group of peaceful protestors became freedom fighters and terrorists. Had recruiters after me for years, always told them the same thing; 'I'm only interested in killing monsters.'" Taylor shook her head.

"Semblance showed up maybe a year later. Best the shrinks can tell is I was sick of being afraid, I wanted to control my fear. So, my semblance gave me a way to literally control something I was afraid off. Course most people just assume it's because I'm some kind of monster and the grimm are just acknowledging my superiority." Taylor scoffed before getting up out of the chair she had been sitting in. All eyes followed her every nervous twitch.

"Like I said before, I don't like talking about this, so if you hear any rumors popping up do me a favor and set the record straight… It got, real lonely at my last school… I'm going to hit the rifle range for a while." Taylor stood and left the room letting the door close with a quiet click.

Minutes passed in silence as the group digested what had been said. Finally Blake went over and ripped the tape off Weiss's mouth.

"Ow!" Weiss took a moment to stretch her jaw. "You knew." The words were directed at Blake, not as an accusation, just as a statement of fact.

"... Not any of the details of the fight but the rest, yeah I did."

"How?"

Blake hesitated for a moment before pulling off her ribbon getting surprised exclamations from the rest of the group.

"I grew up as a member of the white fang. The first Rally I remember attending was when I was eight." Blake's lips twitched up slightly at the fond memories of better days. "Then after years of slow progress, we hear about a girl, my age, who fought and killed a huntress trainee that had been murdering faunus for sport. They told us how because of her actions Vacuo was making a real change. They made her out to be a hero, she was _my_ hero… And at first the violence was, not so bad. Destroying or stealing from companies that mistreated faunus workers, selling what we stole to help faunus that were down on their luck, orphanages that took in faunus children, things like that. Then time went on and the violence got more extreme. Buildings burned to the ground people responsible for our mistreatment abducted for ransom, funds used to get better weapons and gear rather than to help people. There was always a justification, and it was a slow shift. It was so easy to get caught up in it all." Blake shook her head.

"But then that wasn't enough. It wasn't about targets that would make a difference, or helping people. It was just about making humans hurt, making them pay, and then I realized that's all it had ever been about… So, I got out, deserted and took the Beacon entrance exam, said I trained outside the kingdoms, wasn't a lie anyway."

Blake plopped back down onto a bed and rubbed at her eyes with the palms of her hand.

"Don't know if it helps but I've never been to Atlas. I never tried to kill anyone. Though I know I hurt a few people pretty badly before I got out..."

Blake shook her head once more before retying her ribbon. "I need some air." She said before she left.

With that final revelation, out of the way the group lapsed into silence, all lost in their thoughts.

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Read and Review.


	8. The Exterminator

**AN: No idea where I would take this from here, at all. I barely remember anything from the Teen Titans show other than general stuff, and my knowledge of DC in general is hardly any better.**

 **Anyway, I don't own the Teen Titans and I don't own Worm. No money is being made by this, et cetera, et cetera.**

The Exterminator

* * *

"Hello, you've reached Hebert extermination services emergency hotline, my name is Taylor. What is the nature of your emergency?" The crash, and scream, from the other end of the line had me pulling the phone away from my ear. "Uh, hello?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. Uh, your website says you handle _all_ bugs, right?" A deep voice asked hesitantly.

"Yes, so long as it's an insect I can deal with it. Alien, genetic experiments, long thought extinct giant bugs, mutated, even magically enhanced."

"Oh man, you have no idea how happy I am to hear that! We've got these alien hornet, beetle things taking over our tower! They're like eight inches of mean and they're eating everything that isn't metal! We've tried two other exterminators already! The first one hung up on me, and the second recommended you."

"Not surprising. The last time someone tried regular pesticides on alien insects it went, _badly_." I shook off the memories of what happened to that poor bastard. "I'll clear my schedule. Cases like this are considered a federal, if not global, issue and take priority. I'm going to need you to lock down your location as best you can to stop them from spreading, and I'll need your name and location."

"Cyborg, and Titan's Tower."

Of course. Of fucking course.

"Right… thankfully you are local so I should be there within the hour. In the meantime, try not to get eaten… or worse."

"Ri- wait worse?! What do you-" I hung up and headed out of the kitchen towards the stairs.

"Hey, Kitten, up and attem! I need you to earn your pay today!" All I got in response was a groan. Rolling my eyes, I headed upstairs and into kitten's sickeningly pink room. Throwing open her curtains got a louder moan followed by whining.

"Taaaaylor, it's eaaarly, and Saturday. Business hours start at ten." She rolled over trying to hide from the sunlight.

"I got an emergency call. Alien beetle hornet things. Eight inches of mean and eating everything organic, and possibly some stuff that isn't. The call was local, apparently the Titan's don't know anything about precautions against invasive species."

That proved interesting enough for Kitten to turn her head slightly and fix me with a one-eyed glare. "Seriously?"

"Yup." I popped the p and leaned against her dresser.

She flopped her head into her pillow and groaned like the drama queen she was before starting to drag herself out of bed.

"Fiiiiine, what do you need me to do?"

"There are three appointments for today I need you to call them and reschedule. I also need you to call the mayor so he can be ready to make a public statement in case some of these things made it away from the Titan's tower. I'll probably spend most of the day doing a grid search of the city so I'll need you to answer the work phone while I'm out."

"Fine, can you at least get me Robin's autograph?" I gave my cousin my best deadpan look.

"Kitten… remember who you're asking? And my history with the Bat Brigade?" It took her a minute, but eventually she acknowledged the point with another groan and started to drag herself out of bed.

{}{}{}{}

Approaching the tower was promising. I hadn't come across any of the alien bugs on the way over so hopefully they were actually contained and I wouldn't need to spend days or weeks combing the city and surrounding area for nests of the damn things.

When the tower did come fully into my range I felt my eyebrows climb into my hairline. "That, is a lot of bugs." I mumbled even as I stopped the lot of them cold and had them start grouping up on the floor away from the few people I could tell were inside.

The picture I was getting from the bugs senses was even less coherent than what I usually got so details of the tower were blurry. Normal insect senses tended to be like looking through cracked funhouse mirrors, these things sense of sight was like looking through a curtain of running water. Very weird. I had to wonder if this was what drug addicts saw when they overdosed.

As I waited for the boat I'd chartered to actually reach the island I took stock of the insects.

They had a straightforward male female reproductive system, omnivores going by their instincts, and with rather strong digestive systems, or poorly adapted instincts, given even the carpeting seemed to appeal to them. The venom they carried in their stingers was particularly interesting. A very aggressive form of neurotoxin, maybe? It was a bit different from anything I had encountered before which made it hard to be sure.

I could tell the people inside were saying something but what I couldn't make out. Using bugs to listen to people was difficult under the best of circumstances but with nothing but these things unfamiliar senses to work off of I couldn't piece anything together. Finally, I made it to the base of the Tower and found an intercom next to the door. There was almost a full minute of delay after I buzzed it before the voice from the earlier phone call came out of the speaker.

"Uhh, hello?"

"Cyborg, right? It's Taylor from Hebert exterminators. We spoke on the phone about a half hour ago. I've got the bugs under control, and so far, I haven't seen anything to indicate any made it out of the building so that's good but we've still got a lot to go over unfortunately. This is probably going to take a bit."

"Oh man, so that's what's going on! Man, that's fantastic hang on just a sec I'll send the elevator down to get you!"

So far so good but I knew it couldn't last. The ding of the elevator opening made my mind turn towards the opening bell of a boxing match. For a moment everything was quite as I looked at the titans and they looked back at me. Honestly, I thought they all looked ridiculous in their costumes, my business casual look was far more professional, but then that was the super hero culture for you. Then the moment was shattered by Robin snarling.

"You! Titans, go!" He jumped at me pulling out a collapsible staff from somewhere, not his ass, there was clearly still a rod jammed up there. I sidestepped his initial lunge and threw a daddy longlegs I'd picked up on the trip over onto his face. Robin dropped the staff and started to scream and flail. I had to sink my amusement into the swarm to stop myself from laughing.

Casually I hip checked the panicking boy wonder into the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor. That dealt with I made a show of dusting off my hands before turning to the rest of the brat's gob smacked team.

"Right, my name is Taylor Hebert. I am one of three people worldwide who have been endorsed and backed by the United Nations to deal with extraterrestrial invasive insect species. It is my duty to inform you that due to this incident your team is now officially under investigation by the United Nations for putting the planet's ecosystem in jeopardy. Should you be found guilty of deliberately introducing an invasive species You could be facing several decades of jail times and millions of dollars in fines."

The four teens immediately started to protest so I held up my hands for silence.

"Don't bother, I'm not in charge of the investigation, there is a multinational task force for that. My job is just to deal with the infestation as quickly as possible. However, I can and will say that immediately reaching out for someone who could deal with the situation is a definite mark in your favor. I am also obligated to inform you that one or more representatives from the Justice League will be here shortly to collect the insects for disposal. Before all that though was anyone stung? Their venom isn't quite like anything I've come across before and we may need to rush through research into an antivenom."

A chorus of negatives met my question and I gave the group a firm nod. All through my talk I'd been scouring the tower for anything I might have missed with a group of the insects. Luckily there weren't any eggs, nests or hives to be found. Seemed like the babies grew inside the mother then consumed her during the birth, which was all fucking kinds of horrifying, but not the weirdest thing I'd ever come across dealing with all the shit supers introduced to the ecosystem. Uncle Mothman's experiments had certainly been weird enough before he got locked up for it.

Satisfied I hadn't missed anything I directed all the remaining insects into the tower's central meeting room with the rest of us. Once the bird brain got back I would load them into the elevator and collect them outside for easier extraction. Or maybe not. The wind had been fairly strong. It wasn't likely but no point in risking a strong gust blowing some of them out of my range.

The elevator dinged behind me announcing the start of round two.

"Robin, did you really have to kill the poor innocent daddy longlegs?" The Boy Blunder just snarled in response.

"Taylor Hebert, alias Skitter, surrender!" I rolled my eyes.

"Brat, I'm the exterminator you called, and your little clubhouse is in enough hot water with the UN right now as it is. Attacking me will not make your situation any better. Besides that's not my 'alias' that's just some bullshit the media came up with."

"I said surren- wait, EXTERMINATOR?!"

"Yeah my powers great for pest control, and since I work so fast and don't have to use pesticides or whatever I can charge a premium." I shrugged. "A girl has to support herself somehow after all." Robin responded by doing a fairly good fish out of water impersonation. I let myself smirk, enjoying this probably more than I should.

"I, but you, and how, you're a murderer!" Oh, for the love of… had no one clued him in or was he just living a delusion? I did not want to rehash this again.

"Killer actually. After all the courts ruled in my favor as it being self-defense, and in the defense of others."

"Bullshit! It was revenge for your parents deaths!"

"Maybe, maybe not, but according to the court it was justified as self-defense and the defense of others. You know this, there are no warrants for my arrest, and I haven't committed any crimes. I really don't know why you're bothering." Robin gritted his teeth and snapped at me again.

"They were two blocks away from you!"

"Yup." I popped the p just to be annoying. "But the Joker and Scarecrow are known terrorists with a history of using chemical weapons. Assuming they are a threat to anyone within five blocks of them, if not anyone in the city assuming they might have something across town on a detonator is perfectly logical."

Beast Boy suddenly popped up right in front of me with a dramatic gasp and literal stars in his eyes.

"Dude, you're the girl who took down the Joker _and_ the Scarecrow?! Can I have your autograph?!"

"Beast Boy!" Robin shouted.

"Sure." I shrugged in response. I didn't get a lot of people requesting my autograph, but I got enough. Every now and then when I needed some extra money Kitten would auction off a few autographs for me online. Almost all of them got bought up by people from Gotham. Even three years later I still apparently had a following there, and I knew for a fact there were semi regular petitions made by the people to buy my services as an exterminator to deal with the rest of the local villains.

I signed Beast Boy's autograph book which he had pulled from _somewhere_ and smiled lightly as he bounced off to show Cyborg who looked bemused. Robin was still seething by the elevator. The two girls looked unsure about what they should be doing in this situation and just fidgeted nervously in the air.

I glanced at my watch before looking out the window to see the now familiar site of one of the Justice Leagues space ship, plane, things…. Come to think of it I never had gotten a name for those ships. Shrugging it off as unimportant I turned back to the group.

"Right, well this has been just lovely, I'm sure, but the League is here to pick up these guys." I waved to the insects gathered off to one side of the room. "And I need to get started on filling out a small mountain of paperwork as well as doing sweeps of the city to make sure none of the little monsters got loose. So, later."

As I walked past Robin and loaded up the insects into the elevator with me I just managed to make out Robin sputtering and turning white at the mention of the Justice League. I couldn't help but smirk and hope they gave him a nice, long, loud lecture on just how stupid they'd all been to bring home these little monsters instead of a regular souvenir, like a postcard or something.


	9. The Grimm Queen 2

**AN: yo so I liked the Grimm Queen as much as some of you seem to so I've been pecking away at getting more of it written. Not really sure where to go with it long term and I lost track of what was going on with RWBY pretty soon after the fall of Beacon. So for now you may see a few more of these pop up now and again but it's not something I've figured out how to turn into a full fic just yet.**

 **enjoy, read and review please and thank you.**

* * *

 **The Grimm Queen 1.2**

Beacon's indoor shooting range was impressive. Twenty firing lines and a maximum range of a thousand yards.

Taylor's sniper rifle was capable of longer shots, but this was about maintaining her skill, not pushing her limits. At the end of Taylor's firing line was a life-sized paper cut out of a beowulf. Taylor was laid out on a mat, her sniper rifle, Thunder, was supported at the front by a tripod. With a well-practiced motion, Taylor slid back the bolt chambering her first round.

Thump thump.

Thump Thump.

Thump Thump.

Thump _Pull_ Thump.

The rifle barked as the .408 round broke the sound barrier. A moments delay and the paper shifted slightly as the bullet tore through it.

Immediately Taylor ejected the spent shell casing and minutely adjusted her aim.

Another bullet flew down range, and another, and another. Seven rounds punched through the target. With a flip of a switch the target returned to her.

"You're a remarkably good shot." Blake said from behind Taylor, startling the sniper. Taylor spared a glance over her shoulder before unclipping the paper target and pointing to two holes, one in each of the targets red eyes.

"You see how the holes nick the white of the bone armor? I'd never try a shot like that on a real grimm. At least not yet, not at this range. The shot nicked it with no wind or movement to compensate for. Normally my .408 rounds can punch through light bone armor and a glancing scrape like that wouldn't even slow them down. Though if my shot is off by a bit more and taken from the side, it might glance off the forehead where the armor is thickest…" She gestured with her hand at the picture to demonstrate the hypothetical trajectory. "Something like that's rare, but it can happen. Much better to aim for the neck or heart."

"Grimm have hearts? I mean, I didn't know anyone had managed to dissect one, they fade so fast and the internal stuff goes first…"

"Ahh, bit of something my semblance helped me figure out. It gives me a feel for where everything is, what makes them tick, what they're capable of. It's, not like a human heart. They don't have blood, just that mist they give off when you kill them…" Taylor grimaced slightly. "I think, anyway. Dissected a lot of rapier wasps while I kept them under my power, but it's not a perfect test. They really do decay quickly, and rapier wasps are so _small_. I'm hoping to get a beowolf into an x-ray or an MRI one day to confirm some of my theories."

Blake nodded thoughtfully. "That's what these shots were for, right?" She asked pointing to the four holes almost dead center of the chest. Taylor hummed a confirmation as she placed a paper target depicting an ursa in the old one's place before sending it back down to the end of the range.

The two lapsed into silence as Taylor slotted in a fresh magazine and took aim at her new target. Seven shots later the target was on its way back to the girls.

"So, what are you here for Blake?" Taylor asked with forced calm. She didn't like talking about her past. Predicting people's reaction to the fact she had killed someone, even in self-defense, was difficult. Blake seeking her out so soon after had her on edge.

Blake for her part kept her silence for a long moment before moving into the girls view and picking up an edge of her bow to show off one of her cat ears for just a moment.

"... I was one of the ones they hooked with your story. I left them about six months back when I finally woke up to reality." Taylor said nothing. This was new ground for the girl. She had met recruiters before, but never defectors.

"I, said some things to Weiss over the past couple of days. She had an easy time realizing that I already knew part of your story. She wanted to know how I knew. I, came clean to them." Blake winced slightly. "I don't know why I did it. They might have figured it out eventually, and that could have been worse, but…" Blake trailed off.

Taylor waited awhile to see if the girl would say any more before speaking. "After everything happened I got sent to a psychologist. Took me awhile to really start talking, but once I did it was hard to stop." Taylor worked as she spoke, this time setting up a normal bullseye. "It's a, _cleansing_ feeling, talking about stuff. Maybe you just needed it." Taylor offered, before chambering a round. "Though you still haven't answered my question."

Another silence as Taylor emptied the clip into her target. Rather than reeling it back in she shifted to a kneeling position and fired seven more rounds.

Nodding happily, she pulled the target back in still waiting for Blake's response.

"Why didn't you join?" Blake asked rather than answering. "I knew people with almost no reason at all who joined, you had more reason than most. That you didn't… I always wondered why."

Taylor smirked lightly.

"I'm only interested in killing monster." It was almost a joke to the feathered girl judging by her tone, but from Blake's confused look it's obvious she was missing the punch line. "And as far as I'm concerned, I've only ever killed monsters."

Taylor sent another target down range but did not get into a firing position. Instead she leaned against a wall and looked at Blake fully. "It's not the healthiest mindset… I make a point not to apply that label to any other people, but it helps me sleep at night. Keeps the nightmares away. Compared to _her_? Weiss's father, and some ignorant racist shits? They might be bastards, but _monsters_? No." She shook her head, feathers swaying more stiffly than hair would, before the corner of her lip twitched upwards. "Having a shrink to talk to might have helped too."

Blake was silent for a moment before nodding. Taylor shifted back into a kneeling firing stance. The two shared a companionable silence for a time as Taylor put holes in paper. Eventually though Blake broke the silence.

"We should see if we can get Ruby into a shooting match with you sometime. Be interesting to see who's the better shot."

Taylor blinked at the other girl for a moment before giggling lightly at the comment so out of place with their earlier discussion. The noise pulled a small chuckle from Blake, which in turn lead Taylor to outright laughing. As the mirth subsided and Blake waved goodbye both girls felt as if their burdens were slightly lighter than they were before.

{}{}{}{}

Weiss wandered beacon's halls with no destination in mind, and a great deal to think about.

She had heard her father curse Taylor's name on many an occasion for inciting some terrorist act or another. In the Schnee household her name had been synonymous with the White Fang.

And now she didn't know what to think. She had pulled up old news reports and even a police report by pulling a few strings. All of it seemed to confirm Taylor's story. She wasn't, and never had been, a member of the White Fang.

But Blake had been. Her teammate had admitted to committing crimes as part of the White Fang. She swore she had left the group because they had become too violent, too cruel. Blake seemed to feel genuinely guilty for what she had done. But did that make it acceptable for her to get away with her crimes?

Weiss growled at the thought of any member of the White Fang not being punished to the full extent of the law.

Still, Blake had not just run and hid in some backwater town. She had instead signed up to become a huntress. She had signed up to put her life on the line protecting the kingdoms! Was it her form of penance? Was it just a job for which she possessed the required skills? Was it some sort of deterrent to her former compatriots in case they wanted revenge?

With a hiss of frustration Weiss spun on her heel and began to pace.

Her options were limited. She could _not_ leave Beacon. To do so for any reason would be a disgrace. That kind of stain on her records would make it extremely difficult to get into one of the other hunter academies, or to re-enter Beacon at a later date. An apprenticeship under a qualified huntsman was possible, but exceedingly difficult to obtain. Leaving Beacon would not impress any prospective instructors. So, leaving Beacon to get away from the two was not an acceptable option… It also would feel a great deal like running, something that she could not stand the thought of.

Shaking her head as if to clear it Weiss tried to approach the problem from a different angle.

Taylor was not guilty of anything, but Blake had admitted to being a terrorist. Could she be thrown out of Beacon, arrested? Oddly enough, that idea also felt like running. Blake had never wronged _her_ , and… And if it was so easy for Weiss to be led to believe that Taylor was a cold-blooded killer who incited violence… How easy would it be to paint the same girl as a hero who fought for a cause, someone to be emulated, instead of hated?

Weiss hated thinking this way. It went against everything she knew. It went against her very upbringing! But she had been taught to think things through from all angles. True the lessons were meant to be applied to business and politics, but they were serving her well in this too. Except that so far rather than make things simpler they had only made them more complicated and confusing.

Getting Blake removed from Beacon was her first instinct… But after being so utterly wrong about Taylor, who just yesterday she was ready to declare had no business being a student at Beacon… What if she was wrong again, and all her actions did was hurt Blake? Did the girl really deserve to have her best chance to do something positive with her life taken from her?

What would happen if she did get Blake thrown out or arrested? There would be an empty space on the team… Which Taylor would then fill.

Weiss winced at the very idea. After today, awkward and tense would be putting things mildly. Ruby and Yang would, probably, not be happy with her either if she was responsible for anything bad happening to Blake. She would be alone, again. Even on a team with three other girls she would be all alone.

No! That was unacceptable! She was tired of being alone!

Unbidden Weiss's mind went back to Taylor and Blake. She wondered if maybe they were lonely too?

{}{}{}{}

Ruby idly poked a strawberry back and forth across the plate in front of her. She had ditched Yang for some time alone to think. That had not been easy, Yang hadn't wanted to let Ruby out of her sight. But Ruby didn't need mothering right now, she also did not want it. She needed to figure out how to bring her team together.

Dropping the berry and her head Ruby let her mind wander.

Maybe a game of truth or dare? That would-be team bonding, right? Right! … Until Weiss asked Blake how many dust shipments she had stolen… Or Blake dared Weiss to kiss a faunus.

The image of a fuming Weiss kissing a smirking Blake just to shut her up, and leaving both girls blushing drew a small snort from Ruby.

It _would_ be pretty romantic, it would certainly solve at least _some_ of her problems… Maybe as a last resort. though she would need Yang's help to pull it off. Hmm it would need a catchy name… Monochrome? Maybe but what was the word for the black and white cats where the white is all over their chest, like a furry little tuxedo? A quick scroll search proved the answer to be Felix…. that sounded stupid … Snow leopard! Yeah, that worked.

Buuuut its still wasn't a very good plan for fixing the team, mostly because it probably wouldn't work. Ruby didn't even know if either of her teammates _liked_ girls. Ruby deflated further resting her head on the table. Oh well, it was a stupid plan anyway.

Unbidden Ruby's mind turned to a different topic. One she might hopefully make more headway on.

Taylor had killed someone.

Most of the time the girl seemed shy and nervous, but the second someone started pushing at her she pushed back, _hard_. She'd given Weiss three strikes. In Ozpin's office, she had snubbed Weiss, in combat class she'd beaten Weiss and made it look _easy_. When Weiss called her a killer? Taylor knocked Weiss unconscious and duct taped her to a chair.

Taylor had killed someone. Yes, it was in self-defense, and yes the person she killed was a mass murderer! So why did the idea of Taylor killing still feel _wrong?_ Why did Ruby still feel like she should be saying there had to be some other way?

And the girl Taylor killed was a huntress trainee! Were there others like that? Maybe even full-fledged hunters? Would she ever have to do the same thing Taylor had?

That was a bad thought for Ruby. Beating up bad guys and throwing them in jail? All over that. Killing enough grimm to fill all of Beacon? Where's the ammo? But to actively try and kill someone?

For the first time in a long time Ruby wondered if she had what it took to be a huntress. And for what felt like the hundredth time in less than twenty-four hours she wondered if she could actually lead her team.

"Problems, miss Rose?"

"Professor Ozpin!" Ruby sat straight up. "No! No problems here! No sir!" Ozpin simply arched a single eyebrow as he stood across from the young girl. It only took a moment for her to slump. "Well, maybe a few." Nodding the professor took the seat across from the young girl.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?"

"I, maybe? I'm just-" she sighed. "I don't know if I'm ready to be here, or lead a team." Ruby's voice was small and vulnerable.

"I see, and what brought this on?"

"Taylor, and my teammates… Weiss was, is, angry. First at Taylor, then Blake and Taylor, now maybe just at Blake. I don't know if I can actually lead them… And Taylor! She, she had to, to kill someone. If she had to, t-then maybe I'll have to-" Ruby choked on the word not able to get it out, not wanting to admit out loud she might one day have to kill someone. A small irrational part of her mind telling her as long as she did not admit it, it would not be real. "She seems so normal, but she…" Ruby shakes her head in a futile attempt to clear it, or at least restore some kind of equilibrium.

Ozpin favored the young girl with a sad smile.

"Tell me, miss Rose, how do you keep someone with super strength, speed, or the ability to teleport, or any number of other abilities, in jail?"

Ruby's nose scrunched up at the seeming non-sequitur. Before understanding started to dawn on her. "You, can't. Or at least not all of them… Not the same way. You'd need different security for everyone."

Professor Ozpin only nodded. "It is extremely difficult, verging on impossible, to keep trained huntsmen and huntresses locked up, especially in groups. It is done, but infrequently. Often times small slip ups earn the hunter a harsh warning and some sort of sanction. Hunters who become unstable though, such as the woman miss Chouette encountered, are almost always, put down."

"You mean killed." Ruby muttered staring desolately at her plate.

"Yes. There is little else we can do in such cases. It is not often necessary, but when it does happen we act as quickly as possible, _before_ the public catches wind of it. Miss Chouette's case is one of the few instances where news of a rogue huntress made it to the public. It incites panic which draws the grimm. In the following three months grimm activity increased by five percent around Vacua. And the girl responsible was only a trainee." Ozpin lectured before adopting a lighter more reassuring tone.

"Miss Rose, incidents like that are extremely rare, and they are only handled by the most experienced huntsmen and huntresses. You are a more than a decade away from even being considered for such a mission. And even then, you would likely be able to refuse it."

Ruby nodded somewhat calmer, though still worried about the possibility.

"As for your team and your abilities as a leader. It has only been two days. Give your teammates, and yourself, time to adjust to your new situation and roles. The only other advice I can offer is that as a leader you must strive to hold yourself to a higher standard. It encourages your team to be the best they can be, and it inspires confidence in yourself. Your team needs to know that you are working hard, not just for your benefit, but for theirs as well."

Ruby took her time to digest that bit of advice before slowly nodding. And for the first time all night the beginnings of an actual plan started to take shape in her mind.

"Thank you, professor. I, I think I need to go find my team." Ozpin favored Ruby with a small understanding smile.

"Of course, miss Rose."

{}{}{}{}

Yang was the last to arrive at the dorm room. She had been working out her anger and confusion the way she normally did, with a punching bag.

The exercise had left her sweaty and had taken the edge of her emotions, but there was still a lot going on that she had difficulty with. Things had just gotten so, complicated. It was a lot to process. The text from Ruby saying they were having a mandatory team meeting in the dorm had been a surprise. She loved her little sister but hadn't been expecting Ruby to tackle the tension in the team head on like this. She was also not sure if she expected this to fix things, or backfire spectacularly… Ruby was not the best with people after all.

The scene in the room was… Honestly not what Yang had expected. Blake and Weiss sat on their respective beds at opposite ends of the room… But Blake wasn't wearing the aloof, 'you are the dirt beneath my feet' look she had sported earlier as part of her cold shoulder treatment. Instead the faunus looked tired.

Weiss still looked angry, but she wasn't glaring at anyone either. She also seemed, nervous? She kept fidgeting which was completely at odds with how she had sat in class.

Ruby was pacing back and forth in front of the door. "Yang, take a seat." It was not the tone Yang was used to hearing from her baby sister. It was an order, and Ruby seemed to expect her to follow it. More bemused than anything else Yang listened and sat cross legged in the middle of her bed next to Blake's. Ruby paced the length of the room a few more times before coming to a stop and facing them.

"OK… This has been, not a great few days." Ruby began letting more emotion into her voice. "I, I learned a lot today though. I learned that sometimes Hunters have to kill other Hunters, because it's almost impossible to keep us locked up if we go crazy, and because we can't let the civilians lose faith in us. Because if they do, they get scared and that, that draws in the grimm." Ruby let out a long shaky breath. Her voice had cracked once or twice during her explanation.

Everyone digested that information in silence.

"Professor Ozpin explained that to me just before I called the meeting. He also said we needed time to adjust to, everything. And that if I'm going to be a leader I have to always try and be at my best." Ruby sighed and rubbed at her eyes.

"Well, I got into beacon two years early. I'm missing two years of classroom lectures. Blake, I'm not even sure you've been in a classroom?" The faunus shook her head in the negative. "Weiss, have you ever been out in the field?"

"... Not before initiation, no." She looked embarrassed.

"I've got two years of classroom lectures up on Blake, and I've got a fair amount of field experience against grimm under my belt. So, I'm somewhere in the middle of you two. Out of all of us Yang has the most well rounded training." Yang preened slightly at that.

"We all have things we need to learn to succeed here. And I'll bet between the four of us we know most of it already." Weiss and Blake looked confused, but Yang was starting to grin madly. Her baby sister might just be onto something.

"Weiss, you have a week to find or create a comprehensive test on the academic _essentials_. Blake, you have the same amount of time to set up a test on things like map reading and wilderness survival. Yang," the blonde boxer looked up wondering what job her sister had in mind for her. "Personalized workouts based around our builds and fighting styles. The one you made up for me has worked wonders, and I want to make sure we are all at our best." Yang nodded happily. She knew her fitness and she could definitely help the team that way.

"Once that's done we start teaching each other." Weiss and Blake both tried to protest but Ruby just talked over them. "We are a team! That means we have to trust each other. So, all four of us are going to work together, to do our class assignments, to catch each other up on what we don't know, to get in shape, and to deal with any issues." Ruby glared at the two before dropping it for a concerned look.

"I'm still trying to learn how to be a team leader." She admitted. "But it won't matter if I become the best leader ever, if I don't have a team to lead. I need you, we all need each other. We have to make this work. Can, can you at least try?"

Yang and Ruby seemed to hold their breath as Blake and Weiss shared a cautious glance then slowly looked back to their leader before nodding hesitantly. The sisters let out shared sighs.

"Oh, thank Oum. I didn't know what I was going to do if that didn't work!" Ruby moaned before flopping face first into her bed. Yang only just caught the slight twitch of Blake's lips, and Weiss's tiny amused snort. Yang actually laughed lightly; both at her sister, and her teammates. Maybe, just maybe, this would work out after all.


	10. The Grimm Queen 3

**AN: OK so first things first this is the third installment of my Ruby Worm Cross 'the Grimm Queen'. If you did not realize that there was a second post of this idea... well I should know better than to try updating the same thread without waiting 24 hours. Just backtrack one post for the second Grimm Queen snippet. This is all I've got for the idea so far and I'm not likely to have any more until I've gotten caught up on RWBY and had time to give this some serious thought. But anyway, hope you enjoy! read and review please!**

* * *

The Grimm Queen 1.3

More than a hundred rounds, and a long walk around the campus later Taylor finally re-entered the dorm room she shared with team JNPR. She wasn't avoiding her roommates, really, she wasn't! She was just... Giving them time to adjust to the new information. She would electrocute anyone who said otherwise.

She slipped the door open the bare minimum to slip inside and kept her head down only glancing up out of the corner of her eye as she entered. Ultimately the attempt at a subtle entrance was pointless as team JNPR had zeroed in on her as soon as the door opened. Taylor cringed at the attention.

Ren and Nora displayed impressively impassive masks. Phyrra showed a great deal of concern, and Jaune fidgeted awkwardly. For a moment no one moved or spoke than Nora stood and moved towards Taylor with purposeful steps. Taylor expecting the worst cringed and looked away from the girl. She then immediately squeaked in surprise as Nora swept her up into a hug.

"It's OK." The orange haired girl said, her voice uncharacteristically firm and serious. "This doesn't change anything."

Taylor snorted a in a mix of amusement and relief. "Liar, it made you serious, if that's not a change nothing is." The sarcastic quality of the words was lost as her voice almost broke from relief. Nora pulled back to give Taylor a stunningly bright grin. "Thank you." Taylor said sincerely. The others simply nodded to show their support and the room descended into companionable silence.

It was everything Taylor could have hoped for. It was a relief. Right then and there she decided that these were people she wanted to know, wanted to keep close. They had her back, and she fully intended to have theirs if and when they needed her.

{}{}{}{}

Breakfast was as it had been the day before; Ren silent and methodical as he ate, Nora chattering bubbly away as she devoured her meal, Pyrrha and Jaune quietly discussing class as they picked at their food. Taylor watched it all, smiling over a cup of black tea, reveling in the feeling of being accepted.

That feeling of serenity shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces when the members of team RWBY took the seats around her and her temporary team, especially because Weiss had decided to sit directly across from her. Taylor's scowl made her opinion perfectly apparent to everyone, and had JNPR sitting stiffly, waiting to see how things played out.

"I'm sorry." Weiss said, miserably, her head bowed. "My father, he uses your name interchangeably with the White Fang… I, listened to him, and didn't even think to check my facts. I'm sorry for what I said, and how I've been acting towards you."

Taylor's mouth hung slightly open and her eyes were wide as she tried to process just what kind of parallel universe she may have slipped into. Ruby fairly beamed with happiness and pride for her partner.

"I, um wow. I just, wasn't expecting that. Umm, apology accepted, I guess." She said looking thoroughly out of her depth.

Weiss gave a firm nod before focusing on her breakfast to the exclusion of anything else.

Ruby's squeal of delight was followed by her glomping Weiss and babbling about being proud of her. The young leader still had to worry about the relationship between Blake and Weiss, but this was a good start after yesterday.

Weiss spluttered for a moment before shoving Ruby off. Ruby not put out in the slightest shifted focus to Taylor, a wide grin on the young leader's face.

"What's your farthest Grim kill shot?" Taylor's grin slowly grew to match the young leader's.

"Mile and a quarter." She said radiating smug. "You?" Ruby's jaw dropped open just a little before she wined lowly.

"Four fifths of a mile." She pouted. "How did you manage a shot that far?" Several of the other teens were paying attention too now. Taylor grinned cheekily.

"Because Thunder is a sniper rifle, and only a sniper rifle."

"Wait, no mechashift?!" Ruby shouted sounding aghast.

"Mmhmm. Well, that and .408 rounds are made almost exclusively for sniping whereas .50 cal is more likely to come out of a machine gun, so the rounds I'm using are held to higher quality control standards." Ruby gaped before shaking her head.

"Ok, I knew about the differences in the ammo, but I use the recoil from the .50 cal rounds to boost my speed. A smaller round wouldn't work as well for that, but what does the mechashift have to do with anything?" Ruby pouted.

"Ahh, well the mecha shift itself, not a lot. The issue is that because it's also a melee weapon you spend a lot of time swinging it around and slamming it into things. No matter how well made it's _always_ going to cause something to come a bit loose. That's fine if you're some machine gunner hosing things down at a couple hundred yards, but for those long shots? Every little bit counts. Though I'd bet you can eek out a full mile if you tuned everything and didn't swing it around before making the shot." The feathered girl advised kindly. Ruby was now thoroughly pouting as she nibbled at a strawberry. Pyrrha hummed thoughtfully before asking her own question.

"Does that mean your only weapon for close combat is your knife? That doesn't seem like enough."

"I can personally assure you that it is plenty." Weiss deadpanned. Taylor, Yang, and Nora chuckled a little at that.

"My knife, and my semblance. I don't want to carry less ammo for Thunder, and a second gun would mean carrying at least double the ammo, or making do with less ammo for sniping. I've thought about making a second knife, or maybe even a short sword to use with my knife, but I've never been able to decide quite what I want." Taylor admitted with a shrug.

Ruby stared at the feathered teen before pulling out a pad and pen to start sketching while mumbling to herself as she worked.

"Oh, oh! Ooooor you could use a Grimm to carry all the ammo you could ever want! We could get you an Ursa, and make it saddlebags! And a saddle! Then you could ride it!"

Taylor just blinked. "Why the hell didn't I think of that." She said, frowning.

"It would slow you down though. Ursa aren't exactly known for being distance runners." Blake reminded.

"Yeah but think how much ammo one could carry. It'd be like a walking armory! Maybe even enough for two teams!" Taylor hummed thoughtfully. "If my range was better it might make for a decent suicide bomber against hordes too."

"Have you considered using a different kind of dust? I know lightning dust is hard to control for distance attacks. It's why I mostly stick to ice and fire dust." Weiss asked. Taylor nodded thoughtfully.

"Lightning dust, makes me feel safe." She hedged. "It's saved me more than once. Honestly, I never really tried to branch out. Though I guess it couldn't hurt to try using other types."

From there the conversation moved on to classes and the group of teens truly began to relax around each other. Blake and Weiss kept their distance from each other, but Ruby's request that they make an effort hung over both. For now, at least they could be civil while they evaluated each other. Taylor still wasn't sold on being friendly with Weiss, but figured the apology earned her a second chance.

"Hey, Taylor, umm?" Ruby fidgeted looking a bit nervous about whatever she was going to say.

Taylor had to fight hard not to give in to the sinking sensation in her stomach as she wondered if Ruby was going to turn on her now. She had seemed alright before, but maybe she was just putting on a brave front? She was after all the youngest in the group. It made sense Ruby would have the most trouble accepting that Taylor had killed someone. "Yes, Ruby?" She asked, trying not to let her rising fear into her voice.

"I umm, I've only met a few people who, you know, aren't named for colors." Instantly all the tension bled out of Taylor and a bemused, if exasperated look slid onto her face.

"So, you're wondering where my name comes from then?"

"Yes?" Taylor gave a fond sigh followed by a light chuckle.

"My Mom never really liked painting or drawing. She appreciated it, but she always said the only art that moved her was the written word. She taught literature, she loved the classics, the old dramas and romances. She studied the novels from before the war as much as she could. Always digging through old shelters and refugee tunnels, always hitting estate sales and rummage sales looking for lost works." Taylor smiled fondly lost in old memories.

"She would do her best to restore them, copy them so that they would still be there for future generations. Letting those stories die, even the ones she hated, was unthinkable. About a year before I was born she stumbled across a story that was written right before the war kicked off. Right before they started burning the books and the paintings. She thinks most copies were destroyed before they could be sold, it's a miracle the one she found survived at all, though the cover was badly damaged and she never found the title or author of the book. She worked on copying it all through her pregnancy, and she fell in love with the story and its characters."

"What was it about?" Blake cut it. As a book lover Taylor's story was really catching her interest.

Taylor smiled wryly. "It's about a world where semblances exist, but the Grimm don't. Not like we know them. Humanity has spread across the whole map, there are hundreds of cities and billions of people." The idea of so many people, of a world without Grimm gets smiles from everyone.

"But it's not perfect." Taylor continued on not wanting them to get the wrong idea. "Instead people use their semblances to stop or commit crimes. Sometimes whole cities are practically controlled by gangs. There was even mentions of a small country ruled by just one person with a really powerful semblance." Taylor's words destroyed the idyllic image the others had been developing. "There are also three monsters. Creatures with powers of their own and seemingly impossible to kill that can destroy whole cities and sink islands. The governments are ineffective and there are people all over manipulating things to suit themselves. It's a mess of a world that's slowly falling apart, with a few people trying to cover up the cracks."

That brought the mood right back down.

"That doesn't seem like a very nice story." Ruby mumbled.

"Yeah, it sounds really dark." Jaune agreed. Taylor only shrugged. The two weren't wrong, but the story was all about the darker sides of humanity, about how even against things that threaten humanity like the 'Endbringers', or the endless Grimm they represented, humanity could not put aside their differences to fight a common enemy. Or at least not for very long. The message might not be pleasant, but that did not make it any less accurate.

"The main character is this fifteen year old, idealistic girl named Taylor. She dreams of being a hero. She gets sucked into things way over her head and has to fight her way out. She grows from this awkward, naive girl with no confidence into a level headed tactician, a vicious fighter, and a real survivor. Mom wanted me to be strong, just like the Taylor from the story."

Taylor smiled warmly down at her tray, lost in memories of happier times when her mother was still alive.

Blake hummed thoughtfully. "I'd love to read it sometime. It sounds like an excellent book."

Taylor smiled warmly back. "I don't think it ever made it into reprint, but there is a website my Mom and some of her colleagues set up for it, and all their other finds on the net. I'll send you a link."

Before conversation could shift to another topic Phyrra pointed out the time and the group choked down the last of their breakfasts before heading off to class.


	11. The Exterminator 2

**AN: what can I say? I'm feeling inspired lately and my coworker told me there are rumors floating around that the show might get picked up again which really got me fired up! I know I've got a bunch of long term fics that should be my priority, but I'm just so happy to be writing again semi regularly that I just don't care what I write as long I'm writing and enjoying it. I hope you all are also enjoying it and willing to bear with me. Also, holy shit dialogue and explanations! Seriously super hero morality is weird and complicated and spawns odd spur of the moment lectures apparently. Facts about Raven's home dimension are pulled out of my ass and vague memories from a few fics of questionable reliability. Oh right I don't own Worm or Teen Titans.**

 **The Exterminator 1.2**

"Batman, what an unpleasant if predictable surprise. Here to spank the naughty Boy Blunder and sweep his mistake under the rug?" I liked to imagine that the temperature dropped a few degrees with every word.

There was just something about the Bat that was fun to provoke. Or maybe it was just me being bitter about how he was part of a system that allowed criminals to escape and go out to murder more people… like my parents.

"Skitter." Batman answered even as his eyes narrowed into a scowl and he completely ignored my question. I rolled my eyes.

"We've been over this already, Bats. My name is Taylor. Taaaaylooor. Your memory seems to be just as bad as your protégées if you can't keep that straight. Or maybe it's your manners?"

Batman didn't respond verbally, but his eyes stayed squinted in a glare. The man could be such a drama queen, but then what did I expect from a man who liked to dress up like a bat to fight crime? Finally, he stalked off towards the Titans Tower.

An amused snort drew my attention to the ramp of their ship. Black Canary stood there one hand on her hip the other against the side if the ship with a small grin gracing her lips.

"Canary, good to see you again." I said warmly. "You seem to find your way onto a lot of my pickup runs lately."

"Ahh well, what can I say? I enjoy our little chats, and it's always interesting to see what the wider universe has to offer, even if they are all creepy crawlies." She said the last with a dramatic shudder. "So, beetle hornets?"

Obligingly I ordered one of the insects to fly up to her hand for examination and started to direct the rest of the swarm into several large steal crates for transport and later destruction. Luckily it looked like they had brought enough storage this time. I hated having to hang around while they did multiple runs. Canary hummed as she looked the insect over.

"Well it's certainly a pretty shade of blue, almost a robin's egg color, and shiny. It's big alright but not like the last trip."

I sighed a little bit at the reminder. The last group had been hercules beetles the size of cats with this amazing burgundy shell. I'd actually petitioned the UN to let me keep a single male as a house pet, but they had shot me down pretty hard. They knew I could handle it, but they really had not wanted to set that kind of precedent.

"Anything interesting about them other than the color?"

"Their venom is some kind of neurotoxin, so you might want to get someone look at it before you destroy them. Their eyesight is weird even by bug standards and they are willing to eat just about anything. Including upholstery and carpeting, though that could just be their instincts not being developed for an industrialized world, hard to say." I rattled off the pertinent details and Canary nodded along. I did leave out their reproductive cycle though, no reason to creep the woman out to much. With a mental command I had her specimen join the rest and sealed and locked the crates for transport. "How are you and archer boy doing?"

"Oh, Arrow and I are doing alright. Work still tends to get in the way but we find time for ourselves." Canary replied with a sunny smile. "How about you? Still no luck finding a good guy?"

"Ughh no, not even a little. Normal's just can't deal with me long term. They don't have the built-up tolerance for strange that people with powers have. And people with powers just can't wrap their heads around why I'm not out in costume beating up thugs or robbing banks." It was an old conversation at this point, but it was always nice to have someone willing to listen to me bitch. Canary was good like that. "Besides lately I've had my hands full dealing with Kitten's latest-ex."

"Oh, your cousin having boy trouble of her own?"

"Not, exactly…. Fang, as if that's actually his real name," I said rolling my eyes. "Is some sort of human spider hybrid. Why my sister wanted to date him…." I sighed, even as Canary made a disgusted face. "Maybe the fascination with insects is just a family trait. Regardless they were never going to last but while he was hanging around well…." I trailed off and looked away.

"What? You can't just get me interested and leave it there."

"Ughh he was 'bug' enough for my power to affect him and apparently he got off on someone controlling him, alright." I groaned. "I keep having to chase him off without letting Kitten know her Ex is stalking me. It's _really_ weird and creepy."

"Oh, wow, that's just…"

"I know! Ughh and he's only a year older than Kitten! I know I'm only twenty, but he's _sixteen,_ that just isn't going to happen. And what would I even do with a boy who was constantly under my complete control?! How on earth could that ever be a healthy relationship?"

I blew out a frustrated breath and tucked some loose hairs back behind my ear. Canary gave me an awkward one-armed hug.

"Hang in there, Taylor. I'm sure you'll find someone sooner or later." I gave the blonde a tired smile and a small nod before sighing and pulling away.

"I wish I could stay longer Canary, but I should really get going. I need to do a grid search of the area to make sure none of these things got loose, and I'm sure I'll be fielding calls from panicking politicians soon enough too."

The blonde smiled and waved me off before heading into Titans Tower no doubt going to add her own less grumpy commentary to what I hoped would be a thorough dressing down.

{}{}{}{} Raven

The Tower was quiet for once, and I couldn't even enjoy it. Normally I'd be thrilled but there was a tension in the air that ruined what would otherwise be peaceful and relaxing.

Robin was glaring at a computer monitor reading through a number of files on who knew what and pointedly glaring at Beast Boy every now and then. Cyborg was reading over a list of guidelines, procedures and laws we would need to comply with before we would be allowed to leave the planet again. Beast Boy was still admiring his new autograph and pointedly ignoring Robin. And Starfire…. well she hadn't settled in one spot for more than a few seconds since the older heroes had left.

With a sigh I closed my book resigned to the fact I wasn't going to get any reading done like this.

"Would someone please explain what the problem is for the alien and the girl from another dimension." I asked with my best 'unamused' voice. That got a reaction from the boys, mainly just them blinking in surprise, but still.

Grumbling Robin typed away for a moment before a file complete with a several year-old photo of the exterminator from earlier popped up on the big screen. Then the screen split and a second file with a more recent picture filled the other half of the screen.

"Taylor Hebert, age twenty, her metahuman ability is to control all the insects in her range, which is several city blocks, at least. She has perfect control of those insects, and a seemingly infinite ability to multitask. The first that anyone knew about her was when she used her swarm to kill the Joker. She used bugs to fill his throat and choke him to death… two weeks later she killed the Scarecrow the same way." Robin scowled at the pictures.

"Friend Robin, who are the Joker and the Scarecrow?" Robin blinked again like he couldn't believe someone asked him that before palming his forehead and typing away. The two files on Taylor were replaced by two new files.

"The one on the left is the Joker, the one on the right is the Scarecrow. They were villains in Gotham city." Beast Boy snorted and shook his head.

"Dude, you can't just call them villains and leave it at that!"

"What are you talking about Beast Boy?" Robin asked frowning.

"Dude, the only villains they've seen are the people we've fought with! I'm mean yeah some of them can fight and pack a punch, but those guys?" Beast Boy waved at the screen. "They were nuts, total crazies." Beast Boy turned to look at Starfire and I. "They both had kill counts, like a few hundred people each, I think?" Beast Boy turned to Cyborg looking for confirmation.

"Yeah, I think the Joker had just over four hundred before she killed him, and Scarecrow was getting close to two hundred." Cyborg answered seriously. Beast Boy nodded gratefully before turning back to us.

"Most of those people died from chemicals, and they were _really_ bad ways to die. The Joker had this stuff that made people laugh themselves to death. Like, they're laid up in hospital beds and they're terrified and crying and they still can't stop laughing. The Scarecrow, he had this hallucinogen, literally scared people to death, just terrified them until their hearts gave out. She lost her Mom to the Scarecrow and her Dad to the Joker, I think. Nothing really stopped them they just kept racking up more kills." Beast Boy shrugged looking sad, his pointed ears drooped.

"Batman and I could handle them!" Robin broke into the conversation furiously.

"Rob, they had both busted out of jail at least a half dozen times. Yeah you guys could lock them up, but you couldn't keep them locked up. Every time they broke out people died." Cyborg said gently resting a hand on Robins shoulder. Robin brushed him off.

"So that somehow makes it ok for her to kill them for revenge!"

"Honestly? Kinda, yeah." Cyborg answered. Robin just gaped at the him. "I remember watching the news coverage. I heard every argument for and against what she did. The whole country did, man. If the government ever beat you and Batman to the punch they'd have shot them, and that would have been the end of it right there. Honestly it's a miracle no cop ever arranged for those two to have an 'accident' or that they were never shot and killed while 'attempting to escape.'" Cyborg said making finger quotes.

"We don't have the right to be judge, jury, and executioner! We stop the villains that's what we do, full stop!" Robin shouted.

"Dude, so do the cops, but when they have to shoot someone, or snipe a terrorist no one gets bent out of shape about it." Beast Boy cut in looking angry.

"We're not the police! We don't have government oversight, we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard than that!"

From there the boys broke out into a three-way screaming match waving their arms in each other's faces. Star and I shared a glance and I gestured for her to follow as I turned to leave the room.

"Friend Raven, I am most confused." I simply nodded.

"Yeah, that didn't really clear things up. Though I don't think we'll be getting any more out of the boys anytime soon." I said with a role of my eyes. Starfire gave an affirmative little noise.

"Then how will we be getting answers? I would still like to understand." I hummed thoughtfully.

"Well we could look it up online… but if the Boy's reactions are anything like most people's we'd probably be right back where we are now."

"So, what do we do?" Star asked tilting her head.

"Simple, we ask Taylor ourselves."

{}{}{}{} Taylor

Three hours of walking and finding no evidence of alien bugs and still hours to go before I could call it a night. City busses were terrible for this kind of work because they traveled on a set route and would completely ignore the grid search I needed to do. I could have driven but in a city with the amount of super powered crime that Jump sported there was almost constant construction and repair work going on. That meant that my route was likely to be redirected or I could be stuck in traffic for hours on end. Sadly, that meant that slow as it might be and as much as my feet might protest going on foot was my best option.

While I had worked I had fielded three calls from various people in the United Nations invasive species task force, a call from the state Congressman and two calls from the Mayor. I was hungry, my feet hurt, and each phone call had left me more emotionally drained than the last.

I could understand why people panicked but I'd been through this song and dance too many times for it to really affect me anymore. Whereas every time was the first time for whatever local, and often state, politician I was forced to deal with in the aftermath. At least this time I wasn't having to do the routine through an interpreter. Last time I'd gone through three interpreters before they found someone with enough guts to not run screaming from the cloud of alien insects I was rooting out.

"Hello!" The cheery visage of Starfire appeared almost from thin air in front of me in a blur of orange skin and red hair.

"Gahh! Don't do that to people!" I jumped back surprised.

"Star, we've talked about this." The grumpy monotone had me looking over my shoulder to see Raven gliding in for a landing.

"Oops, my apologies." The alien girl said with a sheepish smile. I blew out an aggravated breath but shook off the annoyance as best I could before looking over the two teens now standing in front of me.

"It's fine, did you two need something from me?"

"Not exactly." Raven said.

"We are hopeful that you can explain why our teammates are arguing about you. They have been most out of sorts since the Batman and Canary left." Starfire said puppy dog eyes in full effect. Not that those did anything to me. I had to keep Kitten from running up a bunch of ridiculous expenses all the time already. I was pretty much immune to teenage puppy eyes at this point.

"I'm not really sure what you girls are actually asking. Your teammates are fighting about me?"

"Sort of." Raven answered. "At least it started with you. Then it turned into a shouting match about super hero morality and excessive force…"

Ahhh well that cleared things up, still I was on the clock….

"Raven, right?" The girl nodded. "Can you make platforms with you power? And float them around?" The teen shrugged.

"Sure. Why?"

"I still need to do my grid search to check for any escaped bugs, but if you help with transport I'll be able to get done quicker. Let me grab some lunch, then if you're willing to play transport we can all talk while I work."

The girls shared a glance before nodding. With a smile I headed towards a food truck my power had noticed a block over. This conversation would no doubt be a pain but at least I could get a falafel.

{}{}{}{}

"Right." I said, stuffing the food wrapper into my pocket to throw away later. "So, super hero ethics shouting matches, and how I figure into them, right?" The two girls nodded and I sighed. I hated this conversation, but Starfire was pretty obviously an alien, and Raven was different enough she might be one as well so it made sense that they wouldn't really know any of this.

I leaned back on my hands keeping my legs crossed as we floated along on Raven's black energy platform. For a moment I closed my eyes and sunk into the swarm letting my emotions settle even as I kept a metaphorical eye out for hornet beetles.

"How much do you know about Batman, Robin and Gotham city?"

"Very little." Raven answered. "Beast Boy explained a bit about the Joker and the Scarecrow, mostly about how, and how many people they had killed." Both girls fidgeted a bit awkwardly.

Even now, years later thinking about those monsters hurt. The fact they were dead and gone made things easier, but it still hurt.

"Right… the first thing you need to understand is that Gotham City was and is a shit hole." I said bluntly. "Not enough jobs mean that people turn to crime to survive. That makes the city more dangerous and run down and then good people end up leaving looking for better places to live and so on. The city has been like that for a long time now."

The girls nodded following my words closely.

"Then Batman showed up, suddenly all the criminals had a lot more to worry about than a bunch of underpaid and underfunded cops. The city got a little safer, a little better, there was hope… then the villains started to crop up. They weren't the kind of villains you all deal with here, Gotham villains are all crazy. When Batman caught them, they got thrown in an insane asylum rather than a prison." I blew out a long sigh.

"But they would just bust out and start killing people all over again. All that progress the city made? Gone. Anyone with a lick of common sense started to get the hell out of town, more businesses closed, or some got wrecked by villains. That meant less jobs and more people turning to crime to get by. Basically, what Batman did just wasn't working anymore. Or at least not as well."

The two teens shared a glance. They looked troubled, but beyond that I couldn't even guess what they were thinking.

"Thing is, Batman has strong ideals. He's a cold hearted piece of shit who's not afraid to use fear and violence to make criminals stop… but he doesn't like killing. Goes out of his way to avoid it at all costs really. Neither of you are from earth, right?" The girls nodded. "How would people deal with unrepentant mass murderers where you come from?" Raven answered first.

"On Asarath, such a person would have their mind altered. Their personality would be… erased I suppose. They become productive members of society… but there not quite right after that. They just, sort of go through the motions. No emotions or impulses or attachments." Well… that's a terrifying thought. Starfire seemed to agree, her bright orange skin paled to an almost human tan and she shivered at the thought.

"Friend Raven that is, how could your people?! Such a fate is, is-" she trailed off like she couldn't find the proper word to describe it. "For a Tamaranian, such a fate would be worse than death, worse than being crippled! I would rather be bound to the ground with two broken legs than suffer such a fate!" Raven only shrugged looking mildly uncomfortable.

"My people believed that there was nothing worse than death. And that to take another person's life was the greatest of sins." The dark Titan shrugged. "I'm not sure I agree, I can think of plenty of fates worse than death, but they refused to kill and that was the harshest punishment they used." Starfire didn't seem happy about that but set it aside for the moment.

"My people are warriors. For one to kill their own people without just cause… prison, or death. More often death." Starfire answered.

"Here on earth it's also prison or death. But which depends on a lot of things, like where you are, how much proof has been gathered, and often enough who was killed and how they were killed."

The two titans looked at me oddly for that last bit.

"Let's say a man, a criminal, shoots and kills another man who is also a criminal. It sucks that someone died, but the truth is people expect that sort of thing. It doesn't shock and horrify them, so more than likely he's bound for jail." The girls nodded slowly.

"If that same man were to instead have tortured a mother and her daughter to death in their home." I carefully avoided mentioning anything along the lines of rape, for all that they had chosen to be heroes they still seemed far to innocent. "That upsets people, that horrifies people. It reminds them that despite what society tells them, living a law abiding life does not mean they are safe. That's more likely to get the death penalty, especially if it's not the first time." The girls nodded again, albeit slowly this time.

"Gotham is in an area where we don't have the death penalty anymore. If a criminal died in a shootout with the police." I shrugged. "No one cared. One less piece of shit on the streets. But the police couldn't handle the villains and Batman, and his student, Robin, they don't kill."

"Robin is the student of the Batman?" Starfire's surprise caught me off guard but I nodded anyway.

"So, what was with the tension between them?" Raven asked.

"Wait, they're not getting along?" The girls shook their heads no. Huh, go figure. "I have no idea then. Must have something to do with why the Brat's here in jump instead of back in Gotham." We all took a moment to digest that before I moved on.

"Anyway, Batman not killing is probably a good thing. Before superheroes were common you all would have been labeled vigilantes and the police would have been out to arrest you." Both girls looked highly affronted but I just plowed on with the conversation.

"The early heroes; Batman, Superman, Flash, those guys, the fact that they didn't kill or maim criminals made people more accepting. Sure, they were taking the law into their own hands, and some people wound up with broken bones, but they weren't ignoring people's right to a trial. Supervillains showing up kind of forced people to accept it because the police just couldn't deal with them on their own. And now anyone can throw on a pair of tights and beat up criminals and no one bats an eye."

"So, the killing of the criminals _is_ a bad thing then, yes?" Starfire asked sounding unsure. I gave her a small tired smile.

"If you killed every criminal, or even just every villain you fought, the regular people would be terrified of you and would likely try to throw you in jail. And as far as I'm concerned, they would be right to. But sometimes someone has to die and it's down to you or them, or them or the civilians. Or sometimes you know that if you don't stop them permanently then it will only be a matter of time before they are back on the streets and more people die. What do you do in those situations? Maybe you can take off a leg, or blind them, or break their spine and leave them paralyzed… or maybe you could kill them and be sure."

"Like the Joker, and the Scarecrow." Raven said thoughtfully. "You wanted to be sure?"

"I also wanted revenge, and justice." I freely admitted. "But yeah I wanted to be sure. There were other people in Gotham with similar body counts you know? I could have stuck around, kept cleaning house, only dealt with the worst of the worst. People would have _thanked_ me for it. But I don't really want that. Super heroes, super villains… it all seems so immature to me. People dressing up in funny clothes to go do a job they won't be paid for, that they just choose to do because they can rather than because someone thought they were qualified. You all do a lot of good, but I just don't understand why you're not doing it as police with extra abilities or something." I shrugged, brushing the topic aside.

"But back to the whole morality of killing in the line of duty thing. Batman believes heroes should never kill, or only kill under the absolute worst circumstances maybe. I've never sat down and asked him exactly how strongly he feels about it, but I do know he's fought and killed during several alien invasions. Because he trained Robin the Brat thinks the same way, or at least has a very similar opinion. Before what I did people could mostly ignored the issue because up till then everyone had been on the same page; heroes didn't kill or maim super villains. But after I killed those two? After I turned myself in and the courts ruled what I did counted as self defense and defense of a third party?" I spread my hands out wide in a gesture to show how big the effect had been.

"Everyone and their uncle came out of the woodwork with their own opinion. Why hadn't those two been given the death sentence? Why hadn't Batman done what I did years ago? What gave a teenage girl the right to decide those two deserved to die? Why were other villains not being treated with the same level of violence? Nobody had a good answer then and they still don't have a good answer now. Hell, they don't even have any laws on the books about this stuff and it's been years." I shrugged. "That's what your teammates are fighting about most likely. I'm just a very controversial real world example of all that."

The three of us sat mostly silent as I directed Raven and her platform occasionally as we finished my search. Thankfully there were no signs that any of the bugs had escaped their tower. The girls dropped me off near home and I thanked them for their help and they thanked me for explaining things to them.

Feeling exhausted I made my way inside and placed an order for Chinese takeout for Kitten and I. Then I started in on the mountain of paperwork I needed to fill out. With any luck I'd be done before midnight.


	12. Random Omnipotent Brat

AN: This is as far as I know a unique spin on several old ideas. Namely the multiverse traveling self-insert and the Random Omnipotent Being concepts. It's not a Worm cross at the moment, but more than likely it will be at some point if I do continue it. Before anyone goes running for the hills I just want to say this would be a mostly character development driven story. I'm not going to make my OC, OP. I'm just going to be my sarcastic smartass self getting dragged along for a ride I wanted no part in, but will no doubt enjoy at times. I'm not sure how far I could go with this, but I do think I would have a lot of fun with it. The base for the idea is Magic the Gathering which I do not own and personally feel is completely under exploited. Let me know what you think.

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Random Omnipotent Brat

I sat and stared at my computer screen but the almost blank page seemed to taunt me. It had been so long since I had touched any of my old ideas. I still wanted to continue them, But I was out of practice out of the right mindset, and writers block was hitting me almost like a physical force.

Part of me wanted to start with ' _Company Girl'_ after all it was what I was most proud of. The story that I was convinced had my best writing so far. But it was also the most complex. The characters needed to be detailed and have depth that made the writing difficult. Jumping straight back into that level of writing was daunting. On the other hand, my one attempt at a Naruto story was something I held to much looser standards, but I'd gotten carried away with it and written myself into a bit of a corner. I also had dozens of Google docs with new ideas I'd come up with but only had time to write brief outlines for. I didn't really want to start another story though, I had too many unfinished stories already adding more didn't really appeal even if the ideas themselves did.

I tapped away absentmindedly at the glass surface of my computer desk. With a groan I leaned back in my chair and reached for my headphones hoping a bit of music might help me relax enough to finally start something. Before I could plug them in and bring up Pandora I was scared nearly out of my seat by a little girl appearing, seemingly from nowhere, over my bed.

"Who the hell are you?! And how the hell did you get in here!?" I shouted.

The girl barely spared me a glance before taking in my entire room. Under different circumstances I might have been embarrassed of the mess, but at the moment I was too concerned with the maybe thirteen year old girl. She had a slight build, short black hair, and dark brown eyes. She wore dark green pants and shirt with some kind of black leather jacket and boots. She seemed vaguely Asian in appearance and was maybe a bit under five foot. All in all, it looked like someone took an adorable preteen and dressed her up for a biker convention.

With a gasp of delight, she rolled off of my bed down onto the floor and started looking through my bookshelf putting the bed between us, for which I was honestly a bit grateful.

She glanced from title to title getting more and more excited, then she noticed other books strewn across various surfaces around the room and went on to inspect those as well without actually stopping to so much as read the descriptions on the back. She deftly stepped over and around a few articles of clothing and some extra blankets that had collected on my floor.

Finally, with a giggle she spun to face me and noticed the computer behind me. With a gasp she bounced forward and looked over my shoulder at the handful of paragraphs I'd written months ago and made little progress on over the past few hours.

"Your perfect!" She declared proudly while patting me on the head.

"What the fu-uuudge are you talking about?!" I barely managed to avoid swearing at the kid. It was a very, _very_ near thing.

"I've been looking for a Plane like this for months now! Gideon described one like this to me and explained about how you people have such boring lives that you can actually look through the Blind Eternities just to find things that are interesting to keep yourselves from becoming… umm I forget what word he used but I think he meant suuuuper boring like watching paint dry for entertainment boring, and there was something in the explanation about it being good for your soul's somehow that I didn't really pay attention to. And he found Jessica on a Plane like this and she's amazing because she's like a map and compass for the Blind Eternities which is awesome! Like you have no idea how awesome because blind jumps are kinda fun and all, but like most planes are sooooo boring! Like, 'oh we have goblins and dragons and a dozen wizardry types who are all old farts, and only one continent' and that's literally everything and it gets sooooo boring after a while. And then other planes are like 'Hi, I'm basically a dead hunk of rock floating in the infinite void of space, aren't I so sad and depressing!' And then there are some planes where everyone is just like "oh, we farm for a living, and pray to the spirits, and we watch out for this one man eating species of bird!"

She stopped talking for only a moment to blow a disgusted raspberry, as if the lack of other man eating creatures was some kind of personnel insult.

"But you! You're like her! You've got, well, not a Spark like me because the name is a lie. A Spark is like a bonfire. No, no that's not it, a bonfire is _tiny_ , but a Spark is huge! Like a sun burning bright. But you've got the same feel she does! Like, like it's there, I can feel it but it's not nearly as intense and there's no heat! It's like the reflection of the moon on water! There are ripples that distort and the details don't shine through so well, but it's there!"

The words just fell out of her mouth in a river of noise. It all washed over me and I barely managed to ride it out to the end. The whole time she was just bouncing and beaming at me. Really there was only one thing to do.

"Right… so your crazy… crazy twelve year old girl, appearing out of nowhere in the bedroom of a guy in his twenties…The police are just going to love this, I can tell already." I rubbed at my forehead with both hands before reaching for my cell phone.

My cell chose that moment to fly off the desk and into the little girl's hand.

"Oh cool!" She cheered as she poked at it. "You can read on this thing to? Does it have a lot of stories? Are they any good? Oh cool, this Ruby girl fights with a scythe, that's not really an easy weapon, and what's a gun?"

"How the hell did you do that?!"

"Eh?" She blinked at me and tilted her head. "Just a little telekinesis. It's an easy trick, doesn't take much mana to use and it's handy. Not like I use my white mana for anything more important anyway. Boring color, and the people who use it are always harping on about order and laws, soooo boring. Useful if I feel like healing people though so that's something I suppose."

Telekinesis? Legit, there is no spoon, only not really because that was the Matrix so it doesn't count, telekinesis? I glanced at the incense stick I had burning on one side of my desk and briefly wondered if what should have been dessert sage had been swapped out for a hallucinogen… it was a nice theory except the room did in fact smell like sage, I didn't feel intoxicated or anything, and I most definitely was not tasting colors… so yeah that probably wasn't it… maybe…

I pinched my arm and felt it so… not a dream? Who was I kidding? None of my dreams had ever included smells before, and this was too clear, too many details jumped out that would normally be vague indistinct background.

The little girl hummed to herself as she poked at my phone then looked around the room before frowning.

"This isn't any good though you have lots of books but there aren't nearly enough here to keep me entertained even if we visit them all."

"Kid, give me the phone so I can call the police. I'm sure you can tell them all about whatever your talking about while they try to track down your family." I kept my voice nice and calm like I would when trying to reason with my younger little cousins. She was a bit past the age when I normally chose to talk like that, but she was acting crazy, so it couldn't hurt to try and sound like the perfectly reasonable adult.

"Don't be silly. My family are on some other Plane, and I haven't seen them since I was six. Never could find my way back." She frowned. "I really want to get back there someday though. We had the _best_ dragons you know? They were leathery and warm and they had the coolest powers! They were telepathic and could teleport! How freaking cool is that! Teleporting dragons! Never in seven years have I found dragons that can bond with people and teleport!"

Ok so she is thirteen-ish, good to know. But wasn't she talking about…

"You mean the Pern series? You want me to believe you're from Pern?" I asked skeptically.

Her head snapped up to look at me faster than I could blink and the next moment she was in my face with this intense look in her eyes. My phone got tossed onto the bed and she grabbed me by the front of my shirt.

"You know about Pern!?"

"Ughhh." Now what the hell was wrong with her? Great I was playing into her delusions somehow, fantastic.

Gently I uncurled her finger from my shirt and moved around her to get to my bookcase scanning the shelves for a moment I pulled out what few books from the series I actually owned. Absently I made a mental note to collect some other books from the series the next time I went to a used book store. I passed her the copy of _Dragonflight_ from across the bed and laid out the trilogy about the girl who wanted to be a Harper and had a way with firelizzards on the bed. What was that character's name again? Melony? I flipped one over to read the back. Menolly, well I was close.

" _The Dragonriders of Pern_ , by Anne McCaffrey. Fantastic series, blurs the lines between fantasy and sci fi a lot towards the end. It's a cult classic, really not the best known series, but the people who do know about it love it. Kind of been tainted now though. She let her son kickstart his writing career by taking over the series after a couple of collaborations. I could never be bothered to read those though. As far as I'm concerned she'd already given the series the ending it deserved." I figured I'd humor the girl. And since she was distracted staring intently at the book cover I eased my hand over to grab my phone so I could finally call someone to come deal with her.

It jumped away from me into her hand, again. I groaned lightly but otherwise gave up on it for now. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back to frown at the girl. I really wanted to know how she kept doing that though.

She didn't even acknowledge me as she flipped through the book. She skipped dozens of pages at a time and mumbled under her breath. Most of it sounded like names of people and places. Finally, after a minute of her ignoring me she snapped the book shut.

"Right, we're going here!" She declared holding out the book with both hands. I gave her my best deadpan 'are you an idiot look'.

"Riiiight, that's it, time to call the cops. If you insist on hanging on to my cell I'll just use the house phone." I walked out of my room heading for the stupid old curly cord phone in the kitchen. I made it three steps before something hit me in the back and knocked me to the floor.

Then I started screaming.

It felt like I was being ripped and torn apart by steak knives made of ice. After a few moments the sensation ended and left me panting hard with a dull throbbing ache that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. I managed to roll over and looked up at the girl, she was guiding a sort of mist into a crystal necklace she had pulled from somewhere.

"Sorry about that." She said sounding not even slightly apologetic. "But I needed to anchor your soul to this otherwise I wouldn't be able to take you with me across the Blind Eternities." Which didn't really explain a single damn thing. "I guess I'll take you back home for now. Maybe I can track down Gideon and Jessica to explain things to you…" she trailed off tapping her chin. Then she shrugged and pulled out a dagger. "Don't worry we'll talk again soon!" She smiled and drove the dagger right into my chest.

For a moment I just stared blankly the pain not really registering past the weird ache I was still dealing with. Everything just started to fade out, and the last thing I saw was the crazy girl's way too cheerful smile.


	13. Stan Lee School for Non-Standard Magic

**AN: Right! So, multicross ahead! Kind of… ummm... It's weird and unique like most of my better ideas? There will be Worm characters, though they'll all be less jaded and high strung compared to their canon selves. The plot will be more of a mix between X-men and Harry Potter. I don't own anything that you recognize, seriously, none of it. Read and Review!  
**

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 **Stan Lee School for Non-Standard Magic**

A young boy no more than seven years old, with wild messy black hair and vibrant, almost glowing, green eyes hidden behind a hideous pair of glasses crouched near the entrance to a mind numbingly 'normal' parlor. The boy was doing his best to stay hidden while trying to watch the movie playing on the television. The boy's fat cousin cheered every explosion, even as he stuffed his face, but the young boy remained quite in wide eyed wonder.

The boy didn't know the name of the movie, he didn't understand most of the plot, but one thing stood out to the boy. All the main characters had amazing abilities, and they had been called freaks and other names by the people without powers. It resonated with the boy and for the first time in his life he began to wonder if he finally understood why his relatives hated him. All of his fellow freaks in the movie had amazing abilities, but out of them all one seemed cooler to him than all of the others. It was a red eyed man called Gambit who threw exploding cards and fought fiercely with a staff. In the young boy's mind if he had to be a freak he wanted to be a freak like that man. He wanted to be fast, and skilled, and confident. He wanted to be powerful, and dangerous so he could protect himself.

Unknown to the boy he did have a power that set him apart. A power to bend reality itself to his imagination and belief.

In that moment Harry Potter started to believe that he was like the people in the movie, and his power responded to that belief.

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It only took Harry a few days to find a forgotten pack of playing cards, though it would be almost two weeks before he would get a chance to practice throwing them. At first the cards would fly all over going every which way as they left his hand. But it took only a few minutes to get the hang of the skill and see the cards flying in the general direction he aimed.

A half hour later would see the young boy visibly frustrated as the cards constantly veered off course after a few feet, being caught in a breath of wind, or veering thanks to resistance from bends in the cards themselves. Harry Potter was convinced that the cards should be able to go farther, faster, and be more accurate. He was determined to make that belief a reality. That determination and belief called to young Harry's power and it answered.

A flicker of green the same shade as his eyes latched onto the card as he threw it with all his determination and focus. The card shot clear across the attic in which he practiced and stuck quivering one corner embed a few centimeters into the wooden wall. For a moment all Harry could do was gape at the sight. Then a wide smile slowly spread across his face as Harry fought down his glee to keep from breaking out in a cheer.

That success would further reinforce his belief that he could throw playing cards in such a way, and that he was like Gambit. As he continued to practice that confidence grew making each following success that much easier. A month later he no longer needed to focus on where he wanted a thrown card to go. Harry simply believed that the card would go where he aimed it and his power made it so.

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Harry bolted through the neighborhood with his cousin and all the boy's other friends hot on his heels. They were calling this new game 'Harry Hunting'. Harry silently cursed with the foulest words he knew as he fled. He wanted to fight back, to whip out his deck of playing cards and send all the boys running with cuts, but he didn't dare. It might be enough to deal with a few bullies, but in young Harry's mind it would never be enough to keep his uncle at bay. If his relatives heard about any freakishness from him Harry dreaded what they might do. So, Harry ran.

His mind again went back to Gambit. Harry being a young boy of only seven and memory being fallible; the man had become and idol for the Harry, someone stronger and faster and cooler than anyone could ever truly be. What on screen had been a skilled human fighter became super human in Harry's mind over the intervening time; just a bit faster and stronger than should have been possible.

Harry believed Gambit was a bit faster and stronger than he should be, and Harry believed himself to be like Gambit. So, Harry believed he too should be faster and stronger. That belief fueled by the desperate need to get away called to his power and it answered. Slowly the energy worked its way through his body. His tired panting evened out slightly, and his aching muscles felt a touch of relief. His body moved a touch faster, like a bicker shifting into a higher gear Harry started to pull away from his pursuers. When Harry finally stopped to catch his breath, he could not fight down the giddy laugh that bubbled out of him, or his wide bright smile.

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A few months passed and Harry continued to practice his abilities in secret. All save one. Harry was certain he would be able to make things explode like Gambit but he was afraid to try. The idea that he might hurt himself was a small concern to him but the much greater worry was that it would be hard to hide craters and the sound of explosions if he did practice it. So, with patience that very few his age were capable of Harry Potter resisted the urge to practice making things explode.

That resolve lasted until he turned eight.

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Vernon Dursley was a large man, if one felt like being polite and generous while describing him. A more accurate description would be to call him a fat man. But he was much more than a walking fat reserve. He was also a small minded, naturally angry person, who chased 'normality' and 'success' with all the fervor of a religious zealot. In essence Vernon Dursley was convinced that all he needed to be happy in life were things, and money, and a wife and child.

Harry Potter his magical nephew did not fit into the man's world view in any way and so chafed at Vernon's psyche like a festering sore. And for the better part of the year Harry had been changing. The changes were subtle, but for all that Vernon wanted to ignore Harry the boy's existence clashed with his worldview, drawing his attention like a moth to the flame. Vernon noticed that Harry had become less afraid, less timid, more confident and self assured.

Vernon did not like those changes. More importantly he couldn't explain or understand them. It made him nervous. Some nights he would lie awake for a time wondering what had changed and if the boy somehow knew about magic. If he was biding his time before doing something nasty to them or if more of his sort were out there ready to make trouble for 'good honest folk' like himself. Those concerns ate away at Vernon Dursley from time to time despite his best efforts to banish them.

Then one night not long after Harry's eighth birthday, Vernon got drunk. Despite being a regular drinker, he was not one to get drunk. But it had been a bad week for him and he hadn't paid attention to just how much he was drinking. Vernon had been passed over for a promotion at work, his car was having engine trouble and the mechanic had told him it would cost more than a thousand pounds to fix. Vernon was angry and frustrated and drunk, and then his son gave him a target.

It didn't matter to Vernon what Dudley was yelling at the freak about just that the freak had done something to upset his son, and in his state that was all the excuse he needed to come lumbering into the other room shouting and waving his fist.

Harry had never seen his uncle drunk before. For all that his relatives might hate him, they hadn't ever been truly violent with him. But the image of a drunken, screaming, Vernon Dursley waving his ham fists in the air was enough to send Harry running for cover. The sight of Harry running away was enough to make Vernon start chasing the boy and threatening all kinds of violence at the top of his lungs.

Terrified Harry reacted rather than thought and pulled out his battered deck of playing cards. Quick as a flash three cards flew through the air Vernon swiped at them with his arm and then everyone in the house froze. Two of the cards had sliced shallow cuts into his arm as he batted them aside, but the third was embedded at least a quarter inch into the back of Vernon's hand.

With a sense of detachment Vernon pulled the card free and watched as blood dripped down his hand. Harry gulped as his mind nearly shut down from panic.

"You freak. You _bloody_ freak!" Vernon spat, his already red face edging into purple. "How dare you hurt me with your freakish tricks! I'll kill you!" Perhaps Vernon actually meant to act on that threat, or perhaps they were empty drunken ravings. Regardless Vernon fully meant to harm Harry, and Harry was terrified for his life. So, Harry did what he was certain he could do, he charged one of his cards with energy and threw it at Vernon willing it to explode.

The card caught Vernon in the face and detonated. There was no fire, or shrapnel, just a small wave of force and a bang like a firecracker. The pressure wave made Harry blink even as it ruffled his hair. The explosion staggered Vernon back and he slapped his hands over his left eye screaming in pain. While not large it had been placed perfectly for the eye to take the full force of the blast pulping the small, delicate organ.

Horrified at what he had done, and terrified of what his uncle might do to him, Harry bolted out the door and into the night running for his life.

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Harry's life on the streets lasted only two short months. During that time the young boy survived by the skin of his teeth. He stole food, dodged thugs and police, and he never stopped moving. But people were looking for him a lot of people in a subtle and quite race that had several factions turning the country inside out.

The police wanted him for questioning about the supposed attack on his uncle. A group of magical's under the directive of Albus Dumbledore wanted him found and returned to his relatives' home so the mess could be sorted out and forgotten, and finally, a group of unusual individuals were searching high and low for a child they knew to be in a great deal of danger.

Harry had chosen an abandoned home in a suburb on the outskirts of London to bed down in the past few night and was curled up in a corner of the living room using the thick carpeting as bedding when he heard voices not long after dusk.

"He's in here." The voice was female and quiet.

"You sure?" Another woman's voice, but a bit grumpy sounding.

"Pretty sure."

Harry was up in a moment even as he heard the back door easing open. Wide eyed he started towards the front door but didn't move fast enough to get away. The back door swung open and two young woman walked in. Harry froze like a deer caught in the headlights as they saw each other. The shorter of the two woman eased back a step while the taller crouched down. In the dim light it was hard to make out details but the woman both had dark hair and fair skin maybe lightly tanned at best. The shorter girl had short straight hair while the taller had lengthy curls. Both wore casual looking jeans and jackets.

"Hey there." The Taller woman said, voice quiet and calm. "It's alright we don't want to hurt you. I'm Taylor, and this is Amy." She gestured to the woman behind her. "We're here to help you."

Harry took a step back and pulled out a playing card with each hand though he didn't charge them yet.

Amy whistled appreciatively. "Haven't seen that trick in a while. But I'd be careful if I were you, kid. Explosions from abandoned houses will draw all kinds of attention."

"Easy, little guy, easy. We don't want to fight. Here, watch this." Small shapes moved above Taylor's outstretched hand before lighting up and spinning in a circle. Harry gasped as he recognized the lights as fireflies. Taylor grinned at Harry. "We've got special powers too. I control bugs, and Amy over there, she heels people."

Harry looked back and forth between the two. "You're, you're really like me?" He asked hesitantly. His flight from the Dursleys and the past two months of stressful survival weighing heavily on him. Taylor smiled kindly.

"Really, kid. We've got ways of knowing when gifts like yours pop up, and we've got a safe place for you to learn to use them. But we really need to get you out of here before anyone else comes looking for you."

That caused Harry hesitate. What they were offering sounded good but he had been out on the street long enough to be wary. "Where? And who else would be looking for me?"

"It's… well it's a bit bigger than most schools, more like a small college campus at this point, and it's in Canada believe it or not. As for who else would be looking for you," Taylor hesitated and glanced at Amy who nodded a bit grimly. "You're special, what you can do makes you different. A lot of people don't like different."

Harry's thoughts flew back to his relatives and how they had treated him. Slowly Harry lowered the playing cards and took a leap of faith.

"OK."


	14. Non-Standard Magic 2

**AN: So! A few reviews have me feeling like I'm being underestimated… When I say multicross I** **do not** **mean here's two worlds and a couple of characters from some third thing awkwardly smooshed together. I mean that I've got a way to blend everything I can think of into one setting and still have it come out in a manor that makes sense. And my pride in my story concepts demands I prove it. So, here is a bit more of the Stan Lee School for Non Standard Magic idea that should clear up a bit more of what I had in mind. Though I think if this goes any further I'll need to move it somewhere else. Yeah there are worm characters and powers involved, but they aren't exactly center stage. More like small side or support roles I have a few meta jokes in mind for later. Anyway read and review!  
**

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Harry Potter woke with a start at the sound of the car door opening. Glancing about showed that the car they had taken from the airport in Ottawa had finally come to a stop. Outside of the car was a mixture of dense forest and large buildings. The trees were a mixture of oak and pines and the buildings were an eclectic mix. The largest building looked a bit like one of the larger schools Harry had seen in London, and was an impressive three stories high, while a number of the nearby buildings reminded him of apartments buildings. One building was clearly a library and another seemed almost like a town hall. There were also several buildings whose appearance gave little away, and a number of what appeared to be small personal homes farther out.

"Here we are, Harry. Welcome to the Stan Lee School for Non-Standard Magic." Taylor said with an amused smile from where she stood next to the open backdoor. Blinking owlishly as he shook of the last hold of sleep Harry gave the young woman a cautious smile back and squirmed out of the backseat. Amy gave him a wave before heading for the large squat building that reminded Harry of a town hall. Taylor by contrast took his hand and started leading him towards one of the apartment like buildings.

"You'll be staying in dorm C, though most people refer to it as just DC, a lot of the major buildings have nicknames inspired by various things." Harry gave Taylor a confused look that she didn't notice.

Around the area were a number of people of different ages. Most hung out in small groups talking. A few teenagers tossed a frisbee and a pair of winged girls seemed to be playing a midair game of tag against a girl with light orange skin. Harry openly gaped as the younger of the winged girls, who couldn't be more than six, shot by overhead giggling.

Taylor just ushered him onward. For her it was all commonplace and less important than getting her temporary charge settled in.

"The bathrooms and kitchens on each floor are communal. People are expected to keep their own rooms tidy, and the chores for the communal areas are divided among the older residents on a rotation. Most meals though are in the dining hall which picked up the name Valhalla. A few fliers who paint actually went and painted shields all over the ceiling to make it better match the myth." Taylor lectured. Harry made a mental note to look up Valhalla later.

"Classes aren't really structured normally here. There are only around six or seven hundred students in residence between age six and eighteen. Which honestly wouldn't be too bad to break down into regular class sizes. Unfortunately, we get students from Canada, the U.S., and most of Europe. Between language barriers, some students spending months or years on the street and out of school, the constant slow trickle of new faces, the people whose magic lets them learn at an accelerated rate and growing up with slightly different curriculums…" Taylor shrugged.

"What we do is a lot closer to homeschooling with lots of tutors, study groups, and short lectures for larger concepts. At least until the high school level anyway. At that point there are more options including going to boarding schools in a few different countries but most students are less than enthusiastic about going somewhere they can't practice their magic openly."

Harry nodded decisively at that point. He had been hiding what he could do and practicing infrequently because he had to maintain secrecy. Here he would be able to practice without worrying about being found out. He couldn't wait to get started.

Taylor held open the door for Harry. Walking inside the young boy gaped. Painted all over the walls of the large entrance area were superheroes, villains and logos or emblems. He didn't know enough to recognize any of them, but the detailed paintings were done in a number of different styles and sizes suggesting that it was the work of a number of people. Taylor gave Harry a grin, enjoying his wide-eyed wonder.

Gently Taylor led Harry past a large room full of couches chairs and tables where a few teens were working on some kind of school work to a stairwell. They took the stairs up to the second floor and a quarter way down the hallway. The thick wooden door was propped open by a rubber stopper wedged under the door.

The room consisted of two beds, a pair of drawers under each bed, and desks with their own solid looking chairs. To either side of the door there was a reasonably sized alcove set up as an open closet. The walls were painted a vibrant green and the ceiling was made of ugly off white tiles. A single large window was placed directly opposite the door right above a heater. The left half of the room showed signs of obvious use. The bed was a mess of displaced covers, and the desk was littered with papers, work books, and several paperback books who's covers showed colorful drawings of people with large eyes. On the wall was a poster that matched one of the characters from the books; an older teen or young man wearing a straw hat tilted down over his eyes that proudly proclaimed 'if you don't take risks you can't create a future'. There were also a number of wanted posters depicting similar drawings. By contrast the other half of the room was completely untouched.

A burst of wind pulled at everything loose in the room causing papers and posters to flutter and the covers hanging over the edge of the beds to sway. The wind centered in the middle of the room becoming briefly visible despite all logic insisting that such a sight should be impossible. The wind swirled together before taking the form of a young boy no older than perhaps six. He wore jeans and a sweatshirt depicting a skull and crossbones. He had messy blond hair and bright blue eyes. The young boy swayed back and forth for a moment before shaking his head and glancing at a large clock resting on the disorganized bed.

"Yes! One minute! New record!" The boy broke out into an adorably goofy victory dance before noticing the shocked Harry and the amused Taylor. "Oh, hi Taylor! Did you see, did you see?! I can do my whole body now for a whole minute! Isn't that awesome?! I'm getting super strong, I'm going to be so awesome soon like, like boom, super Windman Jason!" the young boy broke out into light giggles as he bounced in place. Then he noticed Harry half hidden behind Taylor's legs. The young boy seemed to blur becoming almost transparent as he essentially flowed forward to Harry in the blink of an eye.

"Hi, I'm Jason Grace. What's your name?" The young boy asked with a beaming smile and an extended hand. Harry took a cautious step from around the older woman's legs and took Jason's hand hesitantly.

"I'm Harry Potter." Harry said with a small nervous smile. Jason beamed up at the older boy.

"Are you going to be my new roommate? That's so cool I haven't had a roommate yet. Hey do you like One Piece?" The last question was asked with all the solemn seriousness that young children can bring to even the most inconsequential matter as if it was in fact a matter of life or death.

"Umm," Harry glanced at Taylor who nodded with a small smile. "Er, yeah I'm going to be your roommate. What's One Piece?"

Jason gasped before dragging Harry to the cluttered desk pushing one of the paperbacks with pictures into his hands and launching into a long explanation about the intricacies of One Piece and manga in general. Harry for his part only understood part of the explanation. A cough interrupted Jason's rant.

"Will you two be alright on your own for a bit? I need to go check in and help Any with your paperwork, Harry."

The two boys nodded though Harry was obviously still a bit nervous. Then Harry was pulled back into Jason's rant. Taylor shook her head bemusedly and left.

{}{}{}{}

An hour later found Harry more than halfway through reading the second volume of One Piece out loud to a happy Jason who despite loving the pictures and the story could not read them himself yet. Harry could though he struggled a bit with the Japanese names and the longer words. A groan dragged their attention away from the book and up to the door.

Standing in the doorway was a girl perhaps a bit older than Harry and taller by an inch or two. She had short messy black hair that flared out, almost in spikes, around her neck and her eyes were a pale almost electric blue. She wore torn up jeans and a black hoodie with an image of a snarling, yellow, Chinese dragon circling it. She had a pair of headphones hung around her neck from which a barely heard rock song could be heard.

"Jason, what have I told you about forcing strangers to read to you?" She asked in exasperation.

"But Thalia, he'd never heard of One Piece!" Jason shouted indignantly. "Besides he's not a stranger. This is Harry. He's my roommate." The matter settled in the youngest boy's mind he turned back to the book.

Harry gave the girl a nervous wave. She in turn gave him the gimlet eye.

"I'm Thalia Grace, Jason's older sister." The underlying threat in those words was plain to hear especially for someone raised as Harry had been raised.

"I'm Harry Potter. I, I was just reading out loud for Jason. He's been helping me with some of the weird words and names." Harry offered tentatively, hoping that he hadn't unknowingly crossed some line in the older girl's mind. Thalia glanced over at her brother and the stack of books and realized the pair must have been reading for at least a little while already and had no apparent plans to stop anytime soon. A bit of the tension bled out of her shoulders and face.

"I appreciate that. Jason's starting to learn some of the easier words but having someone read to him is good for learning bigger words." She shook her head. "And nothing holds his attention as well as One Piece does."

"That's because One Piece is the best!" The young blond piped up with a goofy grin. Thalia by comparison just rolled her eyes.

"One Piece is alright, but Fairy Tale is the _best_." Jason just huffed and hid his face behind his book.

"What's Fairy Tale?" Harry asked. Harry had little to no exposure to any kind of fiction, let alone what his relatives would no doubt have called foreign trash. Still in the past hour Harry had certainly come to appreciate One Piece, the idea of other stories that were just as good or better had his imagination all but running away from him.

"You don't know Fairy Tale?!" Thalia yelped. Harry only shook his head. "Did your family hate anime or something?" Harry only tilted his head.

"What's anime?" The indignant squawk from both of the Grace siblings quickly devolved into a hurried explanation about cartoons characters with big eyes that mostly come from Japan. Both insisted that it didn't have to come from Japan though, because Avatar the Last Airbender was the absolute best, after their personal favorites of course, and Teen Titans was pretty cool. Which of course Harry had to watch, because it was from DC and he _was_ living in DC now, so really, he needed to know about the famous characters from DC. Though Thalia insisted that he should start with the Justice League cartoon because those were the major characters and the Teen Titans, while awesome were less important. Both siblings however agreed that knowing about DC characters could wait because Harry needed to read One Piece/Fairy Tale _first_.

Harry's head was spinning by the time the siblings started to calm down and looking to change the subject asked Thalia about her music. When she absentmindedly told him she was listening to Green Day, and Harry failed to recognize the name, her face went blank. She immediately launched into a list of bands while demanding that Harry must have at least heard of so and so. When she finally in desperation demanded that he at least must know who the Beatles were and Harry admitted that he recognized the name but didn't think he had ever heard any of their songs she snapped.

"You have a British accent. You are from England, right?" Her voice was cold and almost dead as she glared at Harry. Hesitantly the boy nodded. Thalia exploded off of Jason's bed to pace the floor and rant as she waved her arms every which way. "How can you be from England and not know about the Beatles! I could kind of understand not knowing any cartoons from America, or Anime but _this_?! They're the most famous band _ever_ and they came from England! How could you possibly grow up there without hearing any of their music!" Harry for his part shrugged and fidgeted nervously not wanting to look at either Thalia or Jason.

"My relatives, they didn't like a lot of things, music, anything foreign, anything with magic in it, anything that wasn't _normal._ " Harry said emphasizing the word normal with a hiss. The implications went over Jason's head and the young boy just scowled at the idea of being forced to live such a boring life. Thalia however was a bit older, and more aware. She caught the implications immediately. The raven haired girl gave Harry a sharp considering look before nodding decisively.

"Alright then, that just means we need to teach you all the cool things you've been missing out on." She declared with a decisive nod. Harry looked up at her in surprise before a small shy smile lit up his face.

"Movie nights?!" Jason half yelled all but bouncing with excitement. Thalia grinned and nodded causing the younger boy to cheer. Before pausing with a frown and turning back to Harry with narrowed eyes and a small scowl. "You have at least seen Star Wars, right?" And so, the cycle began again. In the end Thalia simply started writing up lists, and then organizing them by what Harry needed to be introduced to first, what he could work through on his own time, and what they would all watch together.

For all that Harry was overwhelmed, he was also fit to burst from happiness. He had been here only a few hours and already he had made two friends who, while pushy, were doing their best to help him fit in, and whose interests would have given his relatives fits. The hope Harry had been nursing since Taylor and Amy had found him finally blossomed into full blown relief and despite how seriously the two siblings were bickering about the order in which Harry should be introduced to different things Harry broke out into laughter. The sibling's argument cut off as they looked at the hopelessly laughing Harry Potter.

Jason didn't understand what was so funny but Thalia caught the edge of relief in Harry's laughter, and she gave the boy a small sad smile. She understood, she had felt the same when she and Jason had been brought here and it finally sunk in that they really were safe. She let him have his moment and used the distraction to erase one of Jason's more objectionable suggestions from the list. With a final nod she declared they needed to go to the library to pick up some of the movies and set about dragging the boys along behind her with a small smile on her lips.


	15. I Remember

**AN: this was an idea I had… damn a year and a half ago maybe? It's got an insane amount of potential as a concept, but holy crap I don't think I'm up to writing this one right now. Basic idea? What if Amy was just a little bit older? Old enough to remember. This is all from Amy's POV, hope you enjoy! Read and review.**

 **I Remember**

* * *

The blonde girl smiled brightly at me like nothing in the world was wrong, but I knew better. Her Mommy and Daddy had hurt my Daddy. They took him away from me. She was just like them.

I kicked her in the shin as hard as I could.

{}{}{}{}

Victoria; she insisted I call her Vicky so of course I called her Victoria, was being praised by the horrible woman that tried to make me call her Mom for some stupid crayon drawing. Never mind that my drawing was _easily_ five times better. Not that I wanted her to even _look_ at mine. Who cared what she thought. Besides she'd probably try to take it away like she took Daddy.

With a huff I stomped away from them. They were both stupid anyway.

{}{}{}{}

Mrs. Dallon, not mom, _never_ mom, was watching me again. She always watched me when she wasn't praising Victoria or working. Stupid creepy woman, always acting like she thought I would do something wrong.

I glared at her after a minute. She glared back. I huffed giving up on the glaring match and marched off to my room.

Somedays I wondered why I even left it. Sure, there wasn't a tv, but I had books there, and _she_ never came into my room. Sometimes Victoria did, but if I ignored her long enough she would leave eventually too.

{}{}{}{} age nine

My name is not Amy Dallon! I don't know why they all call me Amy, but that isn't my name! My name is Amelia Claire Lavere! But they lied to the teacher about my name, and now the teacher thinks I'm a troublemaker because I corrected her!

I threw my backpack into my closet and slammed the door to my room. Mrs. Dallon shouted something, but I didn't care.

I threw myself onto the bed grumbling and just tried to ignore everything about the stupid room and the stupid house that just kept reminding me this wasn't my home, and this wasn't my family.

The door creaked open a little and Victoria stuck her head in looking nervous.

"Hey, Ames." I threw myself out of the bed and onto my feet and screamed at her.

"That's not my name!" I stormed towards the door and Victoria stumbled backwards the door swinging open wider as she did. "My name is Amelia Claire Lavere! Not Amy Dallon, and not Ames! You people took away my home!" I was at the doorway. "You took away my Daddy!" I had Victoria backed up against the hallway wall. She was trying to say something and had her arms up in surrender, but I was well past listening. "I'm _not_ letting you take away my name!"

I turned and stormed back into my room slamming the door behind me and locking it.

{}{}{}{}

The other kids kept circling around with eager eyes and fake friendship. Oh so very interested in my 'parents,' the super heroes. Victoria soaked up the attention. She loved bragging about her family.

I glared at them all, firmly stated for the whole class to hear that I was adopted and wanted to go back to the orphanage, then I stormed off.

Sure, I had never even been to an orphanage, but that didn't change the fact that I would rather be in one than stay with the Dallons. Still if nothing else I kept my mouth shut about Daddy being a villain. If the _heroes_ were willing to attack us in our home I had no doubt villains would do worse. That much at least I could believe Carol was right about.

{}{}{}{} age 13

I managed to slip away to use one of the library computers during lunch and looked up my Dad's cape life. It was worse than I expected it to be. He hurt people, killed people, he even tortured some people. Despite all that he could have been worse. He didn't hurt woman. He didn't hurt children. My Dad had been a villain… but he hadn't been evil. Not like some cartoon villain or the Endbringers.

He had just been a wildly successful criminal with superpowers, and a moral code.

I wasn't happy that he had done all those horrible things. But I couldn't hate him for it. I also couldn't understand why Carol hated him for it. Yeah, she was a 'hero' and he was a 'villain' but this went farther than that. Worse I couldn't understand why she hated _me_ for it.

{}{}{}{}

A knock at the door pulled me away from my homework. Grumbling lightly, I opened the door to find, who else, Victoria. As if anyone else in this house would ever go out of their way to talk to me. Why the hell they refused to send me to an orphanage I would never know.

"Hey, Amelia." Victoria said. At least she remembered to use my real name this time. She would only call me Amy outside of the house, and half the time she forgot here at _'home'._

"What do you want, Vicky?" Somewhere along the line I'd decided I could reward her for using my real name by humoring her about her preferred nickname. She fidgeted a bit awkwardly in the doorway.

"Look, Amelia, I know, I know Mom is a bitch when it comes to you, and we both know that Dad just…" she trailed off and I could only grimace and nod. As much as I hated Carol for what she had done to Dad if she wasn't such a bitch all the time… I don't know. I'd still have hated her, but maybe not as much. Mark on the other hand at least tried to do right by me when he could be bothered to drag himself out of bed in the morning. Rare as that might be. It was hard to hate a guy who seemed to have trouble caring about living.

"But I'm not Mom and Dad." Vicky plowed on with a shake of her head. "I just, can't we at least get along?" She pleaded.

The initial response of, 'when hell freezes over' was on the tip of my tongue when I swallowed it back down and thought about it. I hated Carol for what she had done and continued to do. I really did not like Mark for what he had done. Vicky hadn't done any of that. But she was Carol's daughter, she was the perfect little princes of the wicked witch. I _wanted_ to hate her. We didn't even have anything in common. She liked stupid cartoons and reality t.v.. I liked fantasy novels and hard rock music.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. If I just hated her because she was related to Carol, well wasn't that basically Carol's problem with me? That, no that just wasn't an option. I blew out a long breath and rubbed at my forehead. I could just tell that I would regret this.

"Fine. Fine! It's not fair to hate you just because you're their kid." Vicky started to perk up at that, but I pinned her with a glare. "But we don't exactly have anything in common, and I still _hate_ your Mom, and kind of hate your Dad." I grimaced. And Vicky drooped a little.

"Why do you hate them though? I mean yeah, I get that Mom is always weird and cold with you, but I don't get why? And why do you hate Dad? He's never like that."

"I, you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"I, they didn't adopt me Vicky, they broke into my Dad's home, got him sent to the Birdcage and kidnapped me in the process. I mean they probably sorted out the paperwork later, but really for however long that took them I was basically kidnapped. And they're still pulling some kind of legal bullshit because in the entire time I've lived here I've never even _seen_ a social worker so they're totally braking some kind of law. Or Carol is using some kind of favors or bribes to get around them, no idea _how_ she's managing that with all the attention she gets as an unmasked cape but-"

"That's not true!" Vicky shouted, interrupting me. "New Wave are heroes! They wouldn't just break the law like that!" I gave her my best skeptical condescending look.

"Vicky, they broke into our home, without a warrant. I know because if they had a warrant they would have come with the Protectorate, but they didn't. That's breaking and entering right there. Then they took me home with them. Without telling the police that they had found me. I know that for a fact because heroes or not the police wouldn't just let them take some kid home with them. Especially since at the time they weren't unmasked so the police wouldn't even have known where to go to check up on me. So, from that night until whenever they got the adoption paperwork filed that was kidnapping." I might not have known much about the finer points of the law but living with Carol I'd picked up at least the basics. It also didn't hurt that I had had literal years to stew on this crap.

"But, but they saved you from a villain!" Victoria shouted looking fairly panicked at this point. And there she went shooting her mouth off and reminding me why this was a bad idea.

"They didn't rescue me from anyone! They ripped me away from my Dad! I loved him! And he loved me! And we were _happy,_ damn it!" I shouted.

"But he was a Villain! And you said they sent him to the Birdcage, they only send the _worst_ Villains to the Birdcage!" Victoria shouted back

"He was the least evil Villain in the entire city!" I screamed. "There were Nazi's, and the Teath, and my Dad, and he was better than either of them! He didn't hurt kids, he didn't hurt women, and he fought off the entire Slaughterhouse Nine on his own! He was amazing, and better than the gangs we have now that he's gone! Face it, your parents aren't heroes! They break the law when it suits them and ripped apart a happy family just to make the city even worse!"

I slammed the door in her face and locked it before she could respond. Carol would be banging on my door any minute now to tell me off for shouting in the house, but I wasn't willing to listen now. I pulled on my headphones and cranked up my music.

{}{}{}{} age 15

I didn't want to be here. Honestly basketball always seemed stupid. But Carol had made an executive decision that the whole family was going to go and watch Vicky because the game was important to her. So here I sat, headphones cranked near the max to drown out the noise of the crowd, pretending to pay attention to the game. I mean I was paying attention to the _players_ at least, because those were some seriously nice legs out there. But I couldn't care less about who was winning or losing.

At least the game was almost over, finally.

I eyed the timer as it spun down and checked the score. After all I'd need to know if I was supposed to congratulate Vicky or offer sympathy.

Then Mark and Carol fainted, and Victoria was flying, and wow she just shattered the backboard.

{}{}{}{}

I waved goodbye to Vicky and headed back up to my room. If Vicky wasn't going to be around then I wasn't about to put up with Carol. Halfway up the stairs I ground to a halt. I might not have hated Victoria… but that didn't mean that she and I usually got along. Even when we were getting along hanging out with her was never enough to make me put up with Carol before.

Right there on the stairs my legs almost gave out. For the past two days I had acted like Victoria and I were friends. I'd caught myself staring at her legs a couple of times. And yeah, they were nice legs, but the package deal they came with were sooo not worth it. So why the hell had I…

Powers. Whenever things didn't add up the answer was always powers. Some aspect of her powers made people like her. Despite the warm weather a chill ran down my spine and settled in my stomach like a ball of ice. I had been forced to live with the Dallons for years but I'd never liked them. My mind, my opinions were my only sanctuary. And now even that, even my mind wasn't, I couldn't, that wasn't.

My whole world seemed to narrow down to the patch of carpet at my feet and my panicked breathing.

[DESTINATION]

{}{}{}{}

I was sprawled out on my bed one hand held up above my face a thin ribbon of crimson blood flowing over and around my fingers. Blood control, and the ability to generate more on the fly. Given how fast my nose had stopped bleeding after I passed out and cracked it on the floor, it was a good bet that I had at least some low level regen going on too. Considering Dad's power, it made plenty of sense to me. Flexing my fingers, the ribbon of blood turned into crimson claws, an experimental scratch at the head board proved them to be razor sharp.

This was good. I could use this. Not as part of New Wave. Never that. But it did give me options. Villainy could be fun. Rub Carol's face in that fact that I was just like Dad. Or I could do the smart thing and join the Wards… that wouldn't be too bad I suppose. Might be enough to get me away from Carol finally at any rate. A flick of my wrist sent the blood I'd been playing with sailing out my window. I'd figure it out in the morning. Right now, I needed to sleep.


	16. Flames

**AN: I have lots to say this time.**

 **Guest Oiller, you are suffering from a severe case of fanon contamination. Nothing says a trigger event has to help solve the problem the host is currently facing. They can influence it, give it direction, but absolutely nothing says it has to help with the problem at hand. Powers. Do NOT. Help. They just give people with issues power to throw at their issues.**

 **Next, I know I put this in the previous authors note but people didn't seem to get it so I'm repeating myself with more detail now. I'm not at all enthusiastic about writing** _ **I Remember**_ **. It's a little legal skirmish, a lot of posturing and bullshit, followed by Amelia raising herself or living with someone else. After that it's just what kind of wrecking ball can I turn it into by the time canon rolls around. I know someone can turn it into a hell of a story, but that person is** _ **not**_ **me.** _ **I Remember**_ **is up for adoption. Anyone who wants it can have it. My personal recommendation would be to bug Somewhat Disinterested over on space battles. I think mixing it with his Gothacia idea would be amazing, and it seems like his/her kind of story.**

 **Finally, I don't own Worm or KHR.  
**

 **Read and Review please :)**

* * *

 **Flames**

I had followed the Yakuza wannabe for the past three blocks, making sure to stay well back and out of sight. I trailed him with an illusionary bat and watched him through its eyes. He didn't seem to be up to anything worth getting involved with, but he had been moving with a purpose when I first saw him and the three others he had joined up with since then reassured me that I had made the correct choice. With any like they would lead me straight to a distribution center I could rob. Though I hoped they wouldn't lead me to a whore house. I'd probably have to call in the 'heroes' if that happened, and that would make it difficult to take off with all the cash.

My bat's sharp ears caught more voices from farther up the road. With a thought I ordered it to fly ahead of the group it was following even as I moved down a side ally to circle around from farther away. The closer I was the less energy I would need to expand to maintain my illusions, but if I was going to fight them I didn't want to be on the same street as my targets.

I was in luck there was a fire escape leading to the next building over from where the group had gathered. Slowly I worked my way up, taking my time to minimize noise. Then, just as my boots touched the gravel covered roof of the building I heard words through the bats ears that made me freeze.

"The children, if you see them, just shoot."

For a moment I froze. I wasn't out to be a hero. I was out to make as much cash as quickly as I could. But I had morals, I had standards. Children were not acceptable targets. I blew out a long slow breath and let the bat fade out. Immediately I started to conjure up a swarm of insect illusions. All around me little sparks of the indigo fire burst into being swirling around me and losing their light as they took up the shape of a swarm of insects. These particular insects were my own creation, not something that could be found in nature. Each was an inch and a half long and jet black with iridescent wings. The bodies were shaped like wasps but rather than a normal stinger each had a scorpion's tail. When I stopped conjuring them the swarm must have numbered close to a thousand. It was a bit of a strain but I could likely hold this many for an hour.

I'd grown much more skilled at using my power since I had triggered. This would have completely exhausted me when I first started to practice. I wasn't certain if my reserves of whatever energy I used had grown, or if my control had improved and I wasn't wasting as much as I used to. Perhaps both?

I took a careful breath and focused inward. The purple fire did not come so easily as the indigo, or red fire, but I could use it if I had time to focus. I pulsed the purple fire out and the number of illusionary insects doubled, tripled, quadrupled, then stuttered to a stop. I shook of the fatigue and light sense of emptiness. I still needed to practice more with the purple fire if that was enough to empty my reserves of it. Still, my swarm now numbered more than four thousand and I still had indigo fire to burn if I needed. This was the better method tactically speaking.

With a thought the swarm dispersed on silent wings to come at the group from every angle. They were illusions, they wouldn't make any noise unless I wanted them to. Once they were all in position that changed. The noise of a million wing beats filled the air around the group of ABB coming from all directions. I'd gotten the noise from watching videos online of locust swarms and thought it would be fitting. Back when I thought all I could do was create illusions I had thrown myself into researching every aspect I could think of in order to make the most of my power. Even now that I knew I could do more those plans would still be useful.

Now I just had to make myself and my intentions known.

"Go home. This is _my_ city and I won't allow you to simply do as you please." The voice was deep and disembodied seemingly coming from everywhere and as it spoke the pitch of the swarms wing beats changed with it as if the swarm itself was speaking. Despite the kick ass sound effects I cursed myself for using such a cheesy heroic line.

Several of the group seemed to whimper, but at least one voice snarled something in a language I didn't recognize. Then a blast of fire shot from the group into the swarm and my blood ran cold. The ABB only had one pyrokinetic, Lung. I was in way over my head, but it was too late to back out now. Worst case scenario my attack would fail and I'd just have to sit tight under and illusion until the group moved on.

The same voice that snarled broke out into a harsh laugh.

"You would challenge me with nothing but illusions? Fool, real insects would have _burned._ This is no threat." He barked an order, again the language I didn't recognize and the others of the group fell in behind him.

Well… there went the peaceful intimidation angle. Plan B; get rid of the weapons.

The swarm descended still sounding like a plague, because there was no reason to give up my intimidation factor. Seeing through the swarm's eyes was, well, impossible. I could manage one or two extra sets of senses if I closed my real eye and focused, but seeing through thousands of eyes at once? Nope. Not a chance in hell. Luckily, I could give my illusions simple instructions. In this case I ordered them to search for guns, knives, and baseball bats. It didn't cover all of the possibilities but it was the best I could do and would take care of the most common types of weapons.

There was a lot of shouting and what sounded like a girlish scream before another shouted order got them reluctantly moving again. I gave things a twenty count before I moved on to the next part of the plan. I fed a bit of the red flame into my illusions. I couldn't see it from here but I knew from my practice sessions that the stingers would now all be glowing an ominous red. I gave the ones who had found a weapon the order to sting.

The surprised shouts sounded like music to my ears. With a thought I summoned an illusionary owl and closed my eye to focus on its senses. I made it take wing over the swarm below. I grinned at the site of weapons dissolving as the red flames ate away at them and the panicking gangsters. Once again, I let the swarm speak.

"Just because they are illusions doesn't mean they have no bite. Go back to your homes. Leave my city in peace." Uh where was I getting this cheesy crap? If someone winds up calling me the Plague Paladin or something equally stupid for this there would be hell to pay. Lung snarled and started to grow as I watched through the owl's eyes. Everything about his posture screamed defiance. And he remained silent. The swarm sighed. "So be it."

The swarm attacked. I gave each gang member a few stings, just to get them moving. It would eat away a bit of them, but I wasn't feeding each insect much of the red flames, so they should be fine given a bit of time to heal. Lung on the other Hand was a regenerator who grew stronger as he fought. I was far less inclined to hold back against him. Most of my swarm descended on him.

Lung lashed out with bursts of fire but it had no effect on my illusions. They settled all over his body and deployed their share of the red fire stinging him and taking off to make room for others. Even as they took wing I started to feed them more of the red fire in preparation for their next run. The owl had difficulty seeing the effect between Lungs fire and the cloud of insects circling him, but even so I caught glimpses of flesh disintegrating leaving behind pits in his skin and muscle. Lung was growing faster now, but he was also screaming in pain as I kept up my attack. Still, I didn't want to underestimate him and give away the advantage.

A pair of snakes ten feet long and as thick as my arm both a deep purple, snapped into reality at Lungs feet. I fed them a good deal of my red flames and their fangs glowed accordingly. In the blink each buried their fangs into a leg injecting the disintegrating fire into Lungs veins. The man howled in agony and toppled to the ground. My snakes pulled back and I charged them for one more attack. I could feel my reserves of the red fire starting to dwindle but I had enough for the snakes to bite again and keep the swarm going for a few minutes more.

Lung was still growing, but it was in patches. Silver scales bloomed across what flesh my insects hadn't marked and his arms seemed to grow larger but his legs only appeared to wither away.

I ordered the snakes back in and they each took an arm in their fangs. I let the snakes fade though I kept the swarm on the attack letting each insect spend its charge but giving them no more to use. Lung howled in agony before he trailed off with a whimper and started to shrink. I pulled my swarm back before they could kill him and dismissed the illusions who had already spent their supply of the red fire. I kept the remainder circling. With the demands on my focus now reduced I opened my real eyes, only keeping enough focus on my owl to be aware if Lung started to grow again.

I smiled. My first night out and I had beaten Lung. The man was arguably the strongest cape on the eastern seaboard, his only real challenge for the title being Legend, and I had beaten him soundly on my first night out. I turned towards the fire escape planning to find a payphone to call this in on when a group of monstrous looking beasts with riders landed between myself and the fire escape. Four people sat on the backs of the three creatures.

I slid back a step and into a combat stance. My illusionary purple cloak shifted as my feet moved, rather than hiding my body from view as it had been it retracted and flowed so as to only cover my back and leave my arms their full range of motion, though the hood remained and so to did the illusion of deep shadows that hid all but my mouth. Beneath my cloak was a simple outfit of black combat boots, jeans, and a long sleeved black shirt. With a thought purple fire sparked between my hands forming an illusion of a partisan spear. I leveled my weapon towards the new group and fed my red fire into the blade making it glow and angry red. As an extra precaution I pulled the remaining insects up to the edge of the roof and made them wait out of sight.

"Easy there, we don't want to fight." The girl who spoke wore a skintight purple costume and a predatory grin.

"She's right." The deep voice came from a guy in biker leather who wore a bike helmet painted to look like a skull. "We just wanted to thank you for the save. When he heard Lung was after us… well our best plan was to hit him fast and hard and hope for the best."

"Wait, after you? He said they were going to kill kids…" I shifted my spear into a less confrontational position, but did not dismiss it. Fucking hell, I'd jumped into a fight that wasn't my problem at all, and I wasn't even going to get any cash out of it!

"Ah- ha yeah that was us." The girl in purple answered even as she dismounted and walked around me to the edge of the building making my paranoia ratchet higher and causing me to back farther away so as to keep them all in my line of sight. The girl whistled low and impressed. "Man, you really did a number on him, you know that?" The others dismounted at her comment and made their way to the edge of the roof. The beasts they rode in on settled on their haunches like dogs that had been told to sit.

The large muscular girl in the fur lined jacket gave a grunt and a nod at the sight of the downed Lung before moving back to the creatures. The pretty boy in the puffy shirt who carried a scepter grinned at the site and offered me a thumbs up. The one in motorcycle leathers nodded thoughtfully and glanced at the blonde in purple. The girl in response raised a hand and gave it a back and forth tilt as if to say, so so. Skull helmet turned to face me fully as if in response.

"I'm Grue. That's Tattletale, Regent, and Bitch." He gestured to the blonde, the pretty boy and muscular girl in turn. "We're the Undersiders."

"Morganna." I replied giving only my cape name. I had heard of the Undersiders when researching the local capes. They were small time, smash and grab or heist specialists. Rumor had at least half of their jobs being against the cities more prominent gangs.

"Oh, clever. Morganna was one of Morgan le Fay's less modernized names, fits with the cloak look too. Hmm oh good you're not one of those Myrddin types, just playing up a theme, that's good." Tattletale rattled off quickly. I raised an eyebrow before realizing they couldn't see my face.

"Correct." Tattletale pouted, possibly at my bland reaction. She opened her mouth to say more but paused and looked over her shoulder down the road.

"Crap, Grue, time to go, Protectorate is coming." The group quickly remounted, but before leaving Grue looked back towards me.

"Do you want a lift out of here? We owe you one after all." I considered the offer. I could stay and meet one of the cities heroes, well assuming the girl in purple was correct. But I wasn't interested in hearing them give me the Wards pitch. And so far, the Undersiders seemed alright.

"Sure." I took the offered hand and climbed on behind Grue. Then we were off.


	17. Flames 2

**AN: So, several people called me on the ending of the previous snip being OOC for canon Taylor. My initial reaction was to just ignore it because I hadn't planned a second post.** **But I got to thinking about it, and about Mammon and Chrome…. then I got inspired. The previous snippet has been edited to reflect the new ideas. The cliff notes version is Taylor was looking for something gang related to rob. She's motivated by earning cash for reasons I haven't gotten around to explaining in story yet, but she has moral standards that wouldn't let her walk away after hearing they planned to kill kids. Not going to lie, this is actually starting to seem a** _ **LOT**_ **more interesting to write now.**

 **Don't own Worm, don't own KHR. Read and review!**

 **Flames 2**

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The monsters took us about six blocks northwest before coming to a stop on the top of a parking garage. The Undersiders dismounted and I followed their lead. Grue and Tattletale shared a glance before Grue waved her forward. Bitch on the other hand huffed and looked away. Regent just idly twirled his scepter.

Lisa gave me a smug smirk as she stepped in front of the rest of the group. I'd allowed my insects and spear to fade during the ride and my cloak was back to being a full length wrap around that hid everything but my shoes and mouth from view. I cocked my head to the side curious what the girl might have to say.

"So," She started cheerfully. "You're not trying to be a hero, not with a cape name like Morganna and passing up a chance to meet one of the pros for a ride with us. But you were willing to go up against Lung for kids you'd never even met before? What's your deal?" I opened my mouth to answer but she cut me off before I could.

"No, no. Don't tell me. Let me see…" She hummed thoughtfully. "Definitely not a hero, but not willing to look the other way either in some cases? Strong morals? Kind of, lines you're not willing to cross, or look away from. Didn't realize Lung was there at first? Yeah that fits. But you kept a level head and hammered him until he went down, which is really impressive not gonna lie."

I wasn't sure if I found Tattletales word vomit to be amusing or annoying. Perhaps a bit of both.

"So, then what's got you out here following ABB in the first place… Cash? You're trying to make money." I considered not answering for a moment but then I remembered the girl pouting at my one word responses before.

"Correct." I answered blandly my mouth curving up into a small smirk. Once again, I was rewarded with Tattletale's pout. Idly I wondered if I could get her to stamp her foot like a child if I kept it up. Grue chose that moment to step forward and interrupt his teammates before she could launch into another rant.

"If you're just looking to make some cash, we could certainly use another heavy hitter. Bitch's Dogs are great for transport and they're not bad for dealing a lot of damage, but the city has a lot of heavy hitters they don't match up to well against. Whatever you did to Lung proves you've got firepower."

I couldn't help but snort. Firepower, that was certainly an accurate description

"It's more than that." Tattletale cut in. "She managed to pull that off without any of them even knowing where to look for her. That kind of sneakiness will fit right in with how we do things." Grue just nodded accepting the comment but not taking his attention off of me.

"It's also worth mentioning that our boss pays us two grand a month as a retainer. Whatever we manage to make on jobs gets split evenly between us." He mentioned as further incentive.

That was decent money just to be a part of their team. And if their jobs pulled in a decent amount of cash on top of that… I could build up a nice little nest egg fairly quickly if things went well. I honestly was liking the idea a fair amount. I hummed thoughtfully before I started to speak.

"I don't really have a problem with stealing, or fighting for that matter. But I'm not going to kill unless I have no other choice. It might be necessary someday, but I'd rather avoid that for as long as I can." I answered slowly, choosing my words with care. "I'm not a fan of the drug trade or prostitution... but those wouldn't necessarily be deal breakers for me. So long as no one is being forced into anything it's not really any of my business how they choose to live… but those aren't really things your group deals with, are they?" Grue shook his head.

"We're thieves. We specialize in hit and run." He shrugged. "Honestly, we don't have the power or the numbers to hold territory, so none of that's really an option for us. Also, we try to keep injuries to a minimum on all sides. It makes us a lower priority for the heroes if we don't rock the boat too much." I nodded happy I wouldn't need to turn a blind eye to anything, and that they were sensible enough about their rules of engagement.

Robbing the gangs on my own had so far been, inconsistent. I'd managed a few small successes in the past three weeks, but mostly I'd just been getting the drop on a handful of dealers at the end of their night. It was cash, sure, but all told I'd only managed to get about a thousand dollars. With practice and a bit of luck I might actually be able to find a distribution center now and then and make off with more. But this was a promise of steady income and a group to make finding more, and better, targets easier. Grudgingly I had to admit that having people I could _really_ talk to for the first time in more than a year was probably the most appealing aspect of the offer.

I had other options. Faultline's crew would likely be happy to have me. I'd bet there were all kinds of tricks Labyrinth and I could pull mixing real changes in amongst illusions. But they operated primarily out of town. Much as I might want to, I could not simply vanish from school for a week or more at a time whenever they got a new job. I might not be under watch by the PRT, but my civilian name was all but guaranteed to be in their system somewhere.

The gangs themselves were right out for the simple fact that I couldn't stomach or conform to any of their ideologies. I could make a go of it as an independent. I'd just have to keep nipping at their heels when I saw an opportunity. Tonight, had after all confirmed that when pushed I could fight and hold my own against even some of the strongest.

Then again, the partially empty feeling I'd come to associate with my reserves reminded me that I'd exhausted my store of purple fire, and burned through fully half the red and indigo all to take out a single cape. The empire might not have anyone on the same level as Lung but they had numbers. If it came down to it they could wear me out through attrition. Not only that but for all my powers were strong there were some capes who would prove very difficult for me to take on my own. I'd also been fighting from cover tonight. I wasn't entirely sure how well I'd have done if Lung had managed to target me personally.

As I ran through it all in my head I started to nod. This wasn't ideal. The Undersiders for all that I'm sure they made decent money were relatively small time. The reward would be less than I wanted, but the risks were significantly less than I'd been afraid I'd have to take. It was a good deal, probably the best I'd find. With one last nod to myself I brought my attention back to the four teens.

"It sounds like a good deal." I said frankly spreading my arms slightly causing my cloak to ripple. "I'm not going to lie, I'm interested, but I do need to get home. This night has already run longer than I planned. I'd like to sleep on it and get back to you tomorrow, if that's alright?"

Grue nodded, and Tattletale gave a smirk before offering me a note card on which she scribbled her PHO address. With a wave from the blonde the group left.

{}{}{}{}

School had been boring and dull as was the new norm. No one tried to talk to me, and I did my best to ignore the fact there were other people in the building. It was a state of affairs I was still exulting in even after three months. The only interesting part had been when I'd messaged Tattletale over PHO and we had agreed to meet up on the boardwalk outside of our _work_ _clothes._ Honestly, I was a bit leery about meeting them out of costume, but if we were going to work together a degree of trust would be necessary. I'd told her what to look for so she could recognize me. So, after ditching my school bag at home I headed out.

{}{}{}{}

I walked down the boardwalk keeping a slow even pace and made a show of scanning the crowd even though I doubted I would be able to spot the other group first. I had no idea what Grue looked like other than muscled, and there were far too many blonde girls and pretty boys out to narrow things down. Still, I was playing the part of someone looking for their friends, I might a s well do the job properly.

Fifteen minutes of aimless wandering and people watching later I was finally waved down by a blonde perhaps a year older than me. Taking a moment to look her over I was honestly impressed. The Domino mask she wore last night had completely hidden her freckles and somehow changed my perception of the shape of her face. I'd have to look into that later, it might come in handy for an illusion at some point.

"So, I have to ask is that why you wore a hood last night." Tattletale asked as she lead me to the table where two boys waited. She was hinting more at the shadows that concealed my face rather than the hood itself. I hummed thoughtfully at the question.

"That's part of it." I admitted with a casual shrug even as I slid into the open seat next to the muscular black teen I assumed to be Grue. Tattletale claimed the seat across from me next to Regent.

"Yo, dork." Regent gave a bit of a wave. "First a witch and now a pirate? Do you just have a thing for playing dress up?" Tattletale cursed and smacked the pretty boy's shoulder while Grue facepalmed.

I just snorted. If these two thought that was going to be enough to piss me off then they were greatly mistaken. With a smirk I reached up and shifted my eye patch to the side revealing the gaping pit that used to contain my left eye. Tattletale turned slightly green at the sight, but Regent's only response was a low whistle. Satisfied I slid the eyepatch back into place before turning so that I could see Grue's response. He seemed slightly unnerved by the display but not nearly so much as Tattletale.

"Right, so introductions." Grue unsubtly changed the topic. "I'm Brian, that's Lisa and Alec. Rachel and crowds don't mix so she gave this a miss."

"Nice to meet you all. My name is Taylor." I nodded politely to the group. "Sorry if that put any of you off of your appetite, but I've found that seems to be the least annoying way to deal with the potential jokes." Alec chuckled so apparently it hadn't been too off putting for him even if the other two grimaced.

"It's fine." Brian deflected. "Have you had enough time to considered our offer by any chance?"

"I have. Your group is the best fit for me in the city, and I doubt I would find much better even if I could chase down opportunities farther afield. I'd be happy to join your group." I answered with a slight smile. Grue's answering smile was unexpectedly warm, and I felt my own smile grow slightly in response.

"Sweet." Alec commented from behind the menu he must have picked up as soon as I answered. "So, let's get some food, and then get out of here so you all can do the boring strategy planning thing. I've got a game I game I've almost beaten to finish waiting for me."

Lisa and Brian both groaned clearly exasperated with Alec. Maybe in time I would get fed up with his attitude as well but for now it was such an unusual change of pace that I couldn't quite fight off the amused twitch of my lips.

{}{}{}{}

An hour later found us standing in a comfortable furnished loft in a rundown part of tow. I gave the space an appreciative nod as I looked around. "It's nice." I said honestly.

"It's not quite what most people would expect." Lisa responded as she slipped past me to the kitchen where she secured a soda. Popping the top, she turned her full attention back to me. "But then most people are idiots and it works for us."

I nodded again. She wasn't exactly wrong. A bond villain lair might sound dramatic but what kind of idiot would actually want to live in some subterranean, whitewashed, pseudo military base. No color or sunlight all the time would have any sane person climbing the walls after a while. Besides facilities like that would cost a small fortune and could still be compromised just as easily as anywhere else. No, something modest and functional like this which could be replaced at a fraction of the cost was the smarter choice.

"So!" Lisa cheered. "How does your power work? Tell me!" She pleaded dramatically. I opened my mouth as if to respond before remembering her earlier reactions. With a small grin I decided to try and make her pout again.

"I'm a pyrokinetic." I answered with a face splitting grin as I summoned a ball of indigo fire into being above my hand.

Lisa actually froze as she looked at the fire in my hand. For at least half a minute she stood there silently. Finally, with a growl she stomped her foot and pointed the hand holding her soda at me. "That's not funny." She scowled. I just laughed as I let the fire fade. Brian coughed lightly drawing my attention.

"Pyrokinetic, really?"

"Well, sort of." I shrugged, letting the joke go. I held out my right hand palm up and formed an indigo flame above my pointer, a red flame above my middle finger, and after a moment managed to manifest a fluctuating purple flame above my thumb. "Each color has its own properties, I don't think any of them actually burn at all." I shrugged and shook my hand letting the fire dissipate as I did so.

"Indigo is the one I have the most of and the one I'm best with. It's for illusions. There's more to it than that though. I can borrow my illusions senses but too many and I get overwhelmed. If I sink enough power into an illusion it can actually become solid, for a while, but I need to practice more to really master that. The red fire is the most straightforward. It just disintegrates things. That's what I did to Lung last night. I channeled the disintegration effect through my illusions to attack him. The purple fire is the weirdest honestly." I glared down at my hand where a candle sized purple flame now flickered.

"Why's that." Brian asked.

"Because it multiplies things. You have one nail, but need three? Saturate the damn thing with purple fire, congratulations you now have three nails. They won't last for too long, but you'll still have them. Want to punch someone but you don't think you're strong enough to really put them down? Bit of purple fire to your muscles and bones and you multiply your strength, or focus it at the point of impact and just multiply the impact force. And that's just what I've managed to work out in the past two weeks since I managed to start using it. It's bullshit." I glared down at the dancing purple flame before dismissing it with a huff.

"That's..." Brian trailed off not sure what to say. Alec and Lisa had no such problems.

"Your power is bullshit!" The two called out from opposite sides of the loft in near stereo. Though with dramatically different tones of voice. I couldn't help laughing a little bit at the response.

"I know." I grinned.

From there I got a rundown on their powers and we talked. Topics stayed fairly light. Even when Rachel got back. She may have glared a bit, but she seemed to accept my presence in the end, albeit grudgingly. It was a nice to spend an afternoon just hanging out. I hadn't done anything like this in a long time.

Even after leaving for home and facing another awkward dinner with Dad the experience kept a smile on my face as I fell into bed that night.


	18. Flames 3

**AN: yep still more of that KHR cross. Why? Because I need to get Taylor's motive out there! That's what got me excited to write this in the first place and all! Not even joking, the idea of a Taylor with a different driving goal in life was the entire reason this got me so excited. Could tack it on to any altpower or even her canon power and I still think it would make for an interesting idea. Though I am uncertain where I would take it from here. I've also learned that I honestly hate trying to write Bitch. I've sort of sidelined her unintentionally…. Oops? Don't own Worm, don't own KHR. Please leave a review if you enjoyed it or noticed something about my writing I need to work on :)  
**

 **Flames 3**

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Sprawled out on the Undersiders couch I was at least nominally practicing my solid illusions. More realistically I was using them to create bouncy balls I tossed into the air and tried to catch with my screwed up depth perception. Rachel's dogs seemed to enjoy chasing after all the ones I missed. It was a way to practice compensating for my lost depth perception, and my solid projections. It was also a way to kill boredom and annoy Alec by distracting him from his game.

"You know, if all you wanted to do was toss balls up and down you could have done that at home." Alec snarked as he mashed buttons.

"Well I could have. But now I can do it here and make you suffer at the same time. Win, win."

"That is not how that works."

"Sure it is. I'm winning twice over." Alec scowled lightly as another fist sized bouncy ball sailed in front of the tv with Angelica racing after it.

"Can't you just conjure up an eyeball or something so you can actually catch them?" I sat up and blinked. Then I smacked my forehead and started to curse. "Wait, seriously? You've had your powers for months and you never thought to try that?"

"Shut up! I only learned to see through Illusions, like, seven weeks ago! I was already used to the idea of only having one eye." I grumbled and started shaping the illusion in my eye socket even as I reached up to pull away my eye patch.

Depth perception is a subtle insidious thing. Close one eye and look around. It all looks the same doesn't it? Reach out and pick something up. That wasn't very hard right? Maybe you had to reach a bit farther than you expected but that's not such a big deal, yeah? Now pick up something small and toss it into the air. Try to catch it. Maybe give it a few tries, don't just bounce it a few inches above your palm, really toss it. Starting to get the idea, now aren't you? And that's just half the issue, you're range of vision gets killed by only having one eye.

Sure, I'd been seeing through my illusions on and off since I worked out the effect, but that's a whole different brand of disturbing. Watching through an owl's eyes as it flies just feet above the rooftops while my body is standing still can be seriously vertigo inducing. Having two eyes set in my own head after three months of doing without? There really wasn't any way to properly describe just how good that felt.

"Hah! Oh, that's fantastic why didn't I think of this?!"

"Ughh, dork? Not to rain on your parade too much, but was it meant to be glowing like that?" Alec asked, cutting off my celebration.

"What?" I looked at Alec for a moment not understanding before rushing to the bathroom in search of a mirror. Sure enough, my new eye had a glowing indigo iris. "Oh, come on!"

A half hour of testing later I finally conceded temporary defeat. For whatever reason my eye just insisted on glowing. I wouldn't be able to use it out of costume but the intimidation factor of having a single glowing eye beneath the shadows that hid my face in costume would be great for intimidation, so it wasn't a complete loss.

"Taylor, you in there? We need to talk the boss just called about a new job!" Lisa called from the kitchen area.

"Yeah, coming." I called back and put action to words. "So, what's up?" I asked sliding into the only open seat around the kitchen table."

"Ugh, Taylor, what's up with the glowing eyeball?" Brian asked.

"It was Alec's idea. No more depth perception issues. Only problem is I can't get it to stop glowing. For now it's only good when I go out in costume." I explained with a shrug.

"Huh, cool." Lisa murmured as she leaned in to get a better look. Then she shook her head and tapped at the table. "Right, so, the boss thinks it's high time we make ourselves a bit more high profile. He wants us to pull something _big_."

"How big?" Brian leaned forward.

"Front page, if we can manage it. He didn't really have any preferences beyond that. Now normally I wouldn't have recommended this, but I haggled with the boss a bit and he promised to triple our haul if we rob Bay Central in the early afternoon this Thursday." Lisa's grin was downright smug.

Alec whistled long and low and Brian leaned back in his seat looking contemplative.

"OK, that makes this at least interesting, but that's going to bring some serious heat down on our heads. No way the Protectorate won't respond in force. Decent money is good, but only if we get away to spend it." Brian gave Lisa a pointed look.

"Ah, that's actually why the boss is pushing for Thursday. Turns out the Protectorate have a PR event out of town. That immediately cuts the cities hero response down to the Wards and New Wave, plus Bay Central is firmly in the Wards jurisdiction. If we hit it in the middle of the day most of them will be stuck at school. Now they won't just let us get away with robbing a bank so they'll pull some of the Wards out of class to come stop us. Luckily, they shouldn't be able to pull them all, so we should only have to deal with three or four of them." Brian nodded thoughtfully.

"Much better odds than I was expecting… What do you really think we'll be looking at for individual takes?" Lisa hummed thoughtfully.

"Well it's the biggest bank in the city and serves as a distribution point for most of the city and a few places outside of it. Then with the boss matching us… ten to fifteen thousand each I would think. Maybe a bit more if we get lucky."

"I'm in." I was sold on this idea. Ten K for an afternoons work. Sure, it wasn't even close to what I really needed for my plans, but it was a hell of a start. Bitch gave an affirmative grunt and Alec threw out a thumbs up.

Brian took longer but eventually nodded. "Alright but were planning this out in exact detail. I don't want to leave any room for screw ups with something this big."

{}{}{}{}

The rental van rumbled lightly as we headed to the bank. Lisa was driving her costume on under her regular clothes while the rest of us and Bitch's dogs were seated in the back already in costume hidden by tinted windows.

"So Tay, sorry Morganna, you are in costume after all. I never did ask, or get around to working it out. Why do you need cash so bad?"

"Really, Tattletale, you're doing this now?" Grue asked, his voice a touch distorted by the darkness starting to seep out of his helmet.

"Eh, I'm curious. Not a lot of teenagers genuinely decide that robbing banks is a good career choice. I could work it out but why strain my power when I could just ask, besides were still halfway across town. We've got time."

"It's fine, it's not like it's a big secret or anything." I took a moment to gather my thoughts. "When I first got my powers I was all set to go out and do the hero thing, right? Every little kids' dream and all that. So, I jumped into researching everything cape. One of the first things that comes to my attention though? Shadow Stalker got transferred out of the city to a punishment detail at one of the Ziz containment zones. That was only a few days after I named the girls who cost me my eye. No explanation given, and no records of what happened to one the girls but she vanished at the same time. Oh, and about a fifth of the faculty at my school got canned."

Alec, bless his black and shriveled heart actually chuckled. "So, a psycho Ward cuts out your eye and the PRT covered it up? Then you decided to say 'fuck it' and go villain?" I shrugged.

"Lost the eye to an infection actually, but it was her fault. There were a bunch of other little things that clued me in, and when I built up a timeline a lot of other things started to make sense. That put me off working with the Protectorate, _ever_ , but it was the other stuff I figured out that convinced me to go villain."

"Oh, do tell?" Lisa asked sounding genuinely curious.

"Well… How much do you know about the Fallen?"

"Endbringer cultists, crazy morons who use their powers to hurt people as part of their pseudo religion." Lisa rattled off. I nodded. She wasn't wrong after all.

"Right, they're all off their rockers, no doubt about that. But when I was looking into them something about their whole ideology got me thinking. Not," I rushed to clarify. "The whole hairbrained concept that the Endbringers are Gods or servants of God or whatever. Just, the idea that they are here to end the world and bring about the apocalypse."

I fidgeted nervously. If asked most people would no doubt believe that our odds of outright killing an Endbringer any time soon were slim to none. At the same time there was a contradictory belief that humanity had cobbled together out of old monster movies and a refusal to give up; that if we held out long enough someone, somewhere, would trigger with the power to kill the damn things. Or that some tinker would magic up a device to destroy them. We all knew we were dying inch by painful inch, but not many people were willing to admit it or think about just what the long term consequences actually were.

"...What do you mean?" Brian was the one to finally break the awkward tense silence.

"The average Endbringer attack costs the government somewhere between the costs to repair after a major natural disaster and the estimated aftermath of a nuclear attack." I answered sticking to the blunt truth. "Every three months some country has to handle that. And that's on top of the costs of damages from regular cape fights that happen everywhere. That's not a small amount when it all gets added up annually either. Sooner or later we're going to lose too much infrastructure and the whole world is going to collapse into smaller chunks of civilization. Or some country is going to try and prop itself up by invading a neighbor and kicking off World War III, with the added bonus of cape soldiers. Tinkers? Nukes? Some of the more destructive powers out there?" I shook my head. "Even _if_ everyone holds off on the possible world ending options it'll be a war like nothing anyone has ever seen. I had to dig to find information on it, but there have been a few hushed up estimates, ten years, maybe twenty, before things really go to hell." I shrugged. There wasn't much else to say honestly.

"Fuck." Lisa breathed out. "You actually believe that, but can you prove-"

"No." I cut her off. "I can't prove any of it. But it makes sense. Brockton Bay might have it worse than other parts of the country, but were practically divided up into fiefdoms here already. Sooner or later the rest of the world is going to end up like Africa. As far as I'm concerned, I need to find a hole where I can ride out the end of the world. But that's going to take cash to buy and to get it set up with the essentials for it to be self sustaining and defensible. So, the plan is to do research, make cash, and work out the rest as I go."

"...Lisa?" Brian asked leadingly.

"I don't know. I'm trying not to think about it too hard right now. I don't want to give myself a migraine before we even get to the bank." Lisa grit out. Her grip on the steering wheel was white knuckled. "It's definitely worth looking into later. If she's right…" She trailed off and shook her head.

"Way to kill the mood, dork." Alec grumbled.

We were all silent for the rest of the ride. I did regret that it came up now of all times, but I had wanted to get the idea circulating in their heads. No matter how I had phrased it I wasn't going to be a one woman nation. I would need other people's help. They might not be ideal but they were a start, and we still had plenty of time to learn valuable skills.

{}{}{}{}

Our entrance into the main lobby was led off with a wave of darkness that settled over doors and windows from Grue and followed closely by Bitch's dogs, we humans brought up the rear. Grue and Bitch's large builds radiated strength and intimidation. Regent and Tattletale followed on their heels the very picture of cavalier indifference; smirking and favoring our captive audience with little waves. Finally, I entered my cloak the same color as my illusionary flames hid my body from view, and the shadow it cast over my face hiding all but my mouth and my new glowing eye.

Then Grue launched into his short, prepared speech on proper hostage etiquette and how we would be gone shortly. That was my que. Showtime.

Stretching out my right hand parted my cloak. The observant might have caught a brief glimpse of my new kevlar vest before the cloak settled once more. Indigo fire blossomed in my outstretched hand growing into a thin vertical pillar of flame. I raised my hand slightly and brought the pillar down on the floor with an audible clack. Instantly the fire burst into small flames revealing my six foot partisan spear. Taking the weapon in both hands I raised it a bit and moved the blade in a small circle over my head keeping the staff vertical. The globes of fire launched by the summoning of my spear started to circle me in a tornado of small flames following the motion of the spear head. Then the small flames grew and started to take shape. The small tornado of fire became a small flock of ravens the birds were mostly illusion but with a bit of focus I supplied enough flame to make their beaks and talons real and sharp. I doubted they would need them, but it did not hurt to be prepared.

My impromptu flock, on near silent wings, circled above our crowd of captives just as Grue's speech ended. Though I kept a single raven back to settle on my shoulder. I had chosen to style myself after the mythical sorceress, I might as well play up the motif further with a raven familiar.

"Regent and Morganna," He gestured towards us each in turn. "Will be keeping an eye on all of you. Quite a few eyes in fact." He gestured to the circling birds. Obligingly I cracked my spear against the floor again and each bird's left eye glowed to match my own. I allowed myself a cruel little smirk I had learned from some of my former tormentors. Sure, I couldn't actually see through all those birds simultaneously, but they had no way of knowing that. In a fit of whimsey I reached up and stroked the head of the bird resting on my shoulder. Its pleased caw causing some of my audience to wince and making my smirk grow.

I couldn't quite deny that at least part of me was enjoying being in a position of power for once. I'd have to watch out for that, or it might become a habit.

Alec and I both kept a careful watch on our captives. I made a habit of cycling through the eyes of my birds. So far no one had tried anything but I figured it was only a matter of time. Maybe a minute later Lisa came and replaced Alec sending him off to help load cash onto the dogs.

Lisa and I noticed the girl at almost the same time. She was a mousy thing about our age with short brown hair. The crow who's eyes I had used to spot the girl settled right in front of her face where she was sprawled out on the floor and cawed. A small application of my power made the sound stretch on for almost ten seconds and amplified the noise to the point that our captives slapped their hands over their ears. Another crow swooped down and laid a clawed foot on the now abandoned cell phone. Gripping it tightly the bird took wing and flew to me dropping the phone into my outstretched hand. A quick glance showed the girl had yet to send her text so I tossed the phone aside.

"None of that now." I gently chided the girl. "Honestly, the less trouble we have escaping the safer everyone here will be. The middle of a cape fight is no place for civilians after all. I can understand wanting to play the hero, but it's not really fair to everyone else her who just want to get out of this safely."

"Ahh, but Morganna she's not just playing." Tattletale said, eyes locked firmly on the girl. "Amy Dallon, truly an honor to meet the famous Panacea." Tattletale bowed dramatically to the girl. My head snapped back around to focus on the girl.

"Ah, you're right, Tattletale. I didn't recognize her with the new hairstyle." I tilted my head a bit to the left as I considered the girl. "But, shouldn't she be in class?" It was only noon after all. I'd been called out sick the past couple of days to cover my tracks. But here she was in the middle of the day at a bank of all places.

"Glory Girl dragged her out. Which means our escape may have just gotten a bit more complicated."

"Between Grue and I it shouldn't be a problem." Tattletale hummed noncommittally, which I ignored. It wouldn't be easy per say but frankly Glory Girl was a blunt object. A bit of the more subtle style of illusions would take care of her nicely. After all, affecting an individual's senses was more delicate than my projections, but it was arguably a superior way of controlling an enemy. And I wasn't certain this would even require that from me.

Maybe ten minutes later Tattletale groaned as she did one of her periodic checks out the windows.

"Honestly how they get here so fast… I mean sure the police can mobilize whenever and be somewhere in minutes, but the Wards? If they didn't have Vista we could have been gone before they ever got here." She complained.

Not taking my eyes off our hostages I landed a crow on Tattletales shoulder and borrowed its sight. Sure enough, arrayed outside the bank were the Wards. All the Wards.

"Tattletale, that is not four people. That is the entire Wards team." Lisa winced.

"I'm pretty sure Glory Girl is on the roof as well."

"Lovely. Go tell Grue. I'll keep watch while you come up with a plan."

{}{}{}{}

Once we were ready the doors of the bank were blasted open. Grue's Darkness creating false shadows hid the banks interior from view, and slowly seeped out of the doorway spilling languidly into the street like a fog bank of night. I couldn't help but grin. I only wished we weren't pulling this in the middle of the day pulling it at night would have made the whole thing so much more dramatic.

I gave it a count of five before my flock of illusions burst out of the bank cawing loudly, their beaks and talons, and right eyes alight with red fire leaving glowing tracers of sparks in their wake. The flock numbered close to a hundred birds and as they circled the wards I moved in for the kill. A massive raven large enough to rival bitch's dogs stuck its head out of the shadowed entrance eyes the size of bowling balls alight in indigo and red. Red fire trailed out of its beak in little breaths of flame. As it stepped fully out of the bank it's talons which also glowed red sunk ever so slightly into the concrete as the flames ate away at it. Then it spread its wings and let loose a cry which shook the nearby windows before taking flight to circle above the main flock. Only then did we exit the bank already on the back of Bitch's dogs.

There were a few cries from the wards about stopping us but we were already moving Alec made sure to distract Vista by causing one of her legs to go out from under her. And I made the smaller birds a general nuisance diving into the Wards faces and leaving shallow cuts on legs and arms. Gallant got of a few blasts of emotion, that all went wide before I could set the birds on his power Armor.

The Wards only two fliers took to the air at that moment. Aegis and Kid Win blew through my flock ignoring their small injuries. In response I let disintegration effect fade from my monster raven and had it pluck them from the air with its talons and slam them into the street.

Glancing back, I was just in time to notice Glory Girl come flying out of the bank, presumably having finished checking on her sister only for her and all of our surrounding to disappear in a wave of Grue's darkness.

I kept the birds harassing the Wards for about thirty seconds more before letting all my illusions start to fade. Especially the monster bird which was draining my reserves faster than I was entirely happy with. I did keep one solid for a bit longer. I landed the final bird in front of Aegis and had it make a repetitive warbling caw that was the nearest any bird came to laughing before it to dissolved into indigo fire.


	19. Flames 4

**AN: I… may need to start a new thread soon if the inspiration doesn't stop flowing soon. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Anyway… ugh, let's see. I find how fast Bakuda tracked down the Undersiders to be, well, stupid. Plus, if you are going to break someone out of an enemy fortress you do not half ass it by sending one guy suffering from extensive mental damage to do it by himself. Seriously the Undersiders pre-Skitter were enough to send him packing. How could the Protectorate not handle him with that low of a bar? Second… well, I always felt that the unwritten rules were a bit garbage and that the heroes should be allowed to bend them a bit so long as they don't break them too badly. Therefore, I now continue my general philosophy that if you are not doing something new you are doing something wrong.**

 **Anyway hope you enjoy, reviews are always appreciated, and as always I don't own anything not making any money this is for fun etc. etc. etc.  
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Friday, we had dropped off our stolen cash to be laundered and my new bank account had jumped to sixteen thousand dollars. I had been surprised considering my take should have only been fifteen. Tattletale had fairly cackled when she explained it was a bonus from the boss. Apparently, whoever they were appreciated my showmanship.

Our mysterious employer wasn't the only one either. PHO had exploded with posters heckling the Wards for being defeated so easily, and people praising our dramatic escape. Mine performance in particular got rave reviews, well terrified, but still. I now had a thread dedicated to myself which had drawn a respectable amount of interest. It was mostly full of the usual PHO drivel though it exploded into activity for a short time when Myrdin the 'wizard' cape launched into a short rant about how I was his arch nemesis and he would not allow me to follow in the path of my namesake.

I wasn't sure how to respond to that but it had certainly been amusing. In the end I had settled for pointing out that he wasn't stationed anywhere near close enough to actually follow through on his declaration. Then I asked the mods why the heroes were allowed to make threats against villains, but not the other way around. That lovely bit of trolling launched a three page debate that ended with the mods handing out warnings like Halloween candy. Including to Myradin. Especially to Myradin.

Saturday had been fun. I'd hung out a with Lisa, Alec, and Brian. We had hit up the boardwalk. It had been… nice, normal even. Lisa had tried to lock herself away to do research into my theory about the world ending but Brian and surprisingly Alec had vetoed it and dragged her away and me with them. Brian had done it because she'd been at it all day Friday and he didn't want her to burn out. Alec's stated reason was that celebrating victory was important and the potential end of the world could wait a day.

Sunday was proving to be a lazy day. Brian had things to do at his apartment Lisa had already declared that she was going to hole up in her room and get back to digging into the conspiracy theories. Alec would be Alec. Which meant video games and junk food. And Rachel would most likely just go off and do whatever it was she actually did with her free time. Something dog related probably. So, with the options being to either distract Alec from his games until he made me slap myself, and goofing around the house I'd chosen to goof around the house. I was really enjoying being a nuisance by posting on Myradin's PHO thread. Honestly the man started ranting at me at the drop of a hat.

"Taylor, could you come down here for a minute?" Dad called from downstairs.

"Sure thing, Dad." I called leaving the computer running as I headed down the stairs. "What's up?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen. Though once I saw who was seated at the table the answer became rather self explanatory. Miss Militia, Assault and Battery. All seated around my kitchen table. Dad was standing by the counter waiting on the burbling coffee pot. I won't lie, I froze up for a few seconds when I saw them sitting there. They should NOT have been there. The unwritten rules might be more guidelines than rules, but for the heroes to break them so brazenly was… unexpected.

"Ahh, Miss Hebert, a pleasure to meet you." Miss Militia greeted me calmly not moving from her seat. Assault waved and gave me a goofy grin, Battery settled for a serious nod.

"Ah, yeah, same." I answered a bit numbly. "Though ugh, why are you here?" None of the heroes chose to answer right away. Instead the slowly building awkward silence was broken by Dad.

"They are here because they claim you robbed a bank on Thursday." Dad's tone was flat and cold. I had heard him like that a few times. He only sounded like that when he was really angry and fighting to keep from shouting.

"Oh, they do, do they?" I mumbled and moved to lean against one of the kitchen walls where I could keep all three capes and Dad in my sight. "That's a very serious claim to make. You come to my home, in force and in full costume, possibly drawing the attention of the gangs to my father and I just to make an insubstantial accusation?" With every few words my voice grew a little bit colder and my glare a little bit harsher.

"Well, I wouldn't have put it quite like that." Assault shifted awkwardly in his chair as he tried to deflect my accusation with a half hearted grin.

"No, of course you wouldn't, that would be _inconvenient_ for you. Luckily, I'm a realist and have no reason whatsoever to pull my punches with any of you. After all, if grown adults running around in Halloween costumes can't handle a bit of the truth then really I don't see-"

"Taylor!" Dad cut me off no doubt shocked at my verbal jabs. I huffed and looked away. I wouldn't apologize. I might not be one of those catty girls who could rip someone apart with a few choice sentences, but I'd been on the receiving end of enough such attacks to learn the basics. If the Protectorate wanted to attack me in my home by turning Dad against me then I _damn_ well wasn't going to play nice!

"You haven't denied that you were part of the bank robbery." Battery calmly pointed out. The woman leaned back slightly in her chair. I shrugged deciding to play along, for now.

"I was home sick, have been for most of the week."

"Funny that just means you were out of school with no one keeping an eye on you." She countered.

"Which is an absence of proof, not proof of anything."

"It's hardly our only evidence."

"Yet despite this so called evidence you don't seem to have a warrant." No one said anything. I shrugged. "If you don't have a warrant then you don't have evidence. What you have are suspicions and what you are doing here is trying to wring a confession out of someone who you've caught off balance."

"Oh, did you have something you feel the need to confess?" I gave her my best deadpan stare.

"If there was something I felt the need to confess, I'd be more likely to go looking for religion and a priest than talk to any of you worthless government lap dogs." I said coldly.

Battery actually froze for a moment and the lines of her costume started to glow faintly before Assault burst into the conversation. Miss Militia I noticed had shifted position at my declaration but otherwise hadn't responded.

"Hey now, no reason to get mean, kid. Were Superheroes! We just want to help, just want to make sure a good kid like you doesn't end up going down the wrong path. We're not, geez don't think anyone has ever called me a government lap dog before."

"The wrong path." I deadpanned. "What are you? A high school anti drug lecture?"

"Taylor!" Dad snapped. "What has gotten into you?!" I ignored the question.

"How's Shadow Stalker doing?" All three heroes _froze_. "Yeah, you weren't all that subtle. Only took me about three days after I got off all the pain meds and antibiotics that were making it hard to think straight. Seriously though, punishment detail? She should have gone to juvie."

"Taylor!" Dad shouted. Guess I couldn't keep him entirely out of the loop… then again, they turned him against me first. Turnabout is fair play, right?

"Shadow Stalker was the one to physically put me in the locker. She scratched my eye with her fingernail when she shoved me in which is how the infection got so dug in." I said gesturing to my eye patch. Assault and Battery winced. Miss Militia tried to match my glare for a moment and then looked away. "They hushed it up and transferred her to one of the containment zones. Then shuffled her family out of town. Witness protection or something." Dad went _still._

"Taylor, are you sure?"

"I'm sure." I said still glaring at the heroes. "I just don't have any proof."

No one said anything for a moment. And the silence grew a bit oppressive.

I had not denied anything, but then neither had they. Sure, I was a villain, but they couldn't prove it. And I was never going to work for them because one of their own was responsible for a year and a half long bullying campaign, that culminated in me being trapped in the most horrid, rancid, pile of filth I had ever heard of, and _losing an eye_. I don't know how they planned to hide that from me if they had managed to maneuver me into the Wards, but now they knew it wasn't even an option. Finally, Miss Militia sighed.

"Miss Hebert, I'm afraid that revealing the civilian identity of a Ward is considered a federal crime."

"Good thing I never revealed her name then."

"Be that as it may, I can't comment on a Ward's identity. That being said the Wards program is the best place for young Parahumans to learn to use their powers responsibly."

I crossed my arms over my chest and started drumming my fingers against my left arm. I took my time to think through exactly how to phrase my response to that particular load of bullshit.

"As government capes," I began in a conversational tone. "You do realize that you'll be the first ones drafted when world war three finally kicks off."

"Wait, what?" Assault asked sounding completely lost. I couldn't blame him I'd just ditched the entire previous conversation with that segue, and it was going to take me a bit to come back around to my point.

"What you thought what's happening in Africa can't happen here?" I snorted. "They were just the first region to fall apart because they were barely being held together in the first place. The middle east was a pot ready to boil over before capes. They've just been on a low simmer since the Endbringers first showed up. I doubt it would take much, just one crazy with a destructive enough power to set off a war there. But really? Smart money is on China kicking things off. There are already rumors of the Yangban abducting capes. Once they think they're strong enough who's to say they won't try to take land too?"

Miss Militia was starting to look pretty pale under her scarf.

"Ok, so maybe someone decides to go to war." Assault burst in. "We are _not_ military. That has nothing to do with us. And even if it did, that's the other side of the world. None of our business, at all!"

"None of our business. _Right_. Like world war one, or two, or Korea, or Vietnam." Assault slouched a little at each listed conflict. "It would be our problem, because sooner or later they would _make it_ our problem. Not only that, a military cape organization that could draw from all of Asia, backed by who knows how many thousands of soldiers is too large a threat to be allowed to form in the first place. And the only way to fight the number of capes China must have at their disposal even now is with other capes."

The whole kitchen was silent.

"You'll be drafted, run through some slapped together mixture of boot camp, and probably officers' training, or at the very least classes on military tactics. Then you will be thrown straight into the fight against the only army in the world that has been planning and training in cape and counter cape tactics. You'll have little to no idea what any of the enemy are capable of and they'll have complete files and all of you and your abilities just by flipping through PHO. And if our government can get their hands on any villains? Well, they'll probably do the same and throw those poor bastards at all the most dangerous missions hoping they don't make it back."

Miss Militia looked positively green and Battery was shaking now. I couldn't tell if it was fear or anger though.

"While all that's happening, the villains will still be here, mostly unopposed, and able to dig in like never before. At that point whether the Wards will start taking over your duties or the government will just give up all pretenses and start putting them through boot camp is anyone's guess." I shrugged as if the whole thing was unimportant.

"You don't know that that will happen." Miss Militia said quietly. "You _can't_ know that that will happen."

"... The Endbringers are destroying resources and infrastructure left right and center. Natural resources like heavy metals and gemstones and who knows what else no longer come out of the Africa, it's just too unstable. A significant portion of the oil fields in the middle east burned thanks to Behemoth. Groups like the Nine, the Fallen, and others are actively working to spread chaos and tension. Something has to give sooner or later and when it does history says there is only one outcome we can expect." I let that sink in for a few moments.

"You came here to accuse me of something you can't prove, and if I had to bet the only reason you even know I exist is because of what Shadow Stalker did to me. You attempted to turn my only living family against me as leverage to force me into joining a group that included the girl responsible for me losing my eye _._ And _then_ you have the _gall_ to tell me it's the best place for young capes when the reality is that anyone who joins guarantees that the government knows who to look for when the time comes to start press ganging super soldiers. All of which is based on the _assumption_ that I'm a super villain. You can take your offer, and your supposed moral superiority, and your ideals, and you can shove them all up your collective asses. The world's falling apart at the seams and anyone with an ounce of sense should be planning for the worst. Me, my Dad, my friends. Those are my priorities. The city, the country, the whole damn world is going to burn sooner or later. I can't stop any of that, but I can try and hold onto what matters to me. If you have any sense at all you'll do the same."

"You can't believe that." Battery almost shouted. I guess that was anger making her shake after all. "You can't expect us to sit here and listen to you belittle everything we do and stand for on some crazy end of the world conspiracy theory!"

"If you don't want to sit and listen then you can get the hell out! Because I sure didn't ask for you to be here!" I shouted right back finally pushing myself away from the wall. Battery stood up from her chair with enough force to almost topple it so she could look me straight in the eye.

"You're a _child_ trying to justify your crimes with the excuse that it's all worth it because the world's falling apart anyway. A self absorbed brat, deluding herself into thinking it's all ok as long as everything falls apart eventually. You're no better than the gangs if you really think that." Condescension dripped off of her every word.

"Oh, is that so. Then what does that make a psycho like Shadow Stalker? After all she hurt a lot of people, didn't she? But it's fine because she's on your side, right? Face facts, your entire organization is a joke. You don't actually make the world any better, you just try to hold all the pieces together and cover up the cracks. All the while you play dress up, and make believe, and hope that if you hide from it long enough reality will just go away and leave you to your delusions!" I snarled.

"Enough!" Miss Militia shouted. "Enough." She repeated more quietly. "Miss Hebert, it is my duty to inform you that you are a prime suspect in the bank robbery that took place this past Thursday and are the suspected civilian identity of the villain known as Morganna. Without conclusive evidence it isn't something we can act on, but should that probe to be true it is in your best interest to turn yourself in. Willingness to reform is always looked on favorably."

"Get out of my house." I growled.

With one more sigh and a nod she got up and led the other two capes out. With a groan I dropped into one of the vacated chairs and buried my head in my hands.

Things weren't supposed to go like this. They weren't supposed to come knocking on villains' doors. They weren't supposed to try and alienate us from our families and the definitely were not supposed to try and recruit me immediately after I pulled off a major crime! Slamming my fists down on the table I stood up in a rush and started to pace only to came to a crashing halt when Dad stepped in front of me.

"Taylor, I think you have some explaining to do." He told me flatly.

Inwardly I swore I would make the Protectorate pay for this.


	20. My X and I

**AN: Bringing you the ship you didn't know you needed I am proud to present a Worm x Teen Titans crossover. Taking place in the lovely little DC spinoff universe with the notable additions of a few Worm characters for flavor and zest along with a few alterations for plot reasons. It's not canon Taylor. She hasn't been traumatized, or failed by the system, she's just lonely teen looking for an escape from her daily life. And this X is not and never was Robin. Why? Because. I own neither of the original works and without further delay...**

 **My X and I**

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I slipped through the shadows of Jump city, silently lurking just out of sight. My costume had taken a long time to get to where I was satisfied with it, and had come out creepier than I had intended, but I could live with being creepy. Considering my power, I didn't really have a choice. In the end I'd decided to just own it rather than spending months trying to redesign my costume.

At its base I was wearing a spider silk body stocking made by black widows. I'd gone to the trouble of adding a bit of chitin armor to my knuckles, and the back of my hands for a bit of extra damage when fighting. The stocking on its own was knife proof. I was very happy to be knife proof, but I had wanted more than that.

It had been a bit of a debate between flexibility, weight, and armor. In the end the difference between spider silk and Kevlar meant I could make a bullet resistant vest that was only a third as thick, but at least twice as strong, for maybe half the weight. I had further reinforced the vest with armor panels made from chemically treated overlapping layers of spider silk and chitin. Those panels only covered my upper torso and back, protecting my heart lungs and spine. They may, _may,_ have also suggested that I was a B cup instead of an A. But that was completely secondary to the real purpose of keeping me alive!

I wasn't really _happy_ about leaving my slightly less vital organs less protected. Unfortunately armoring my entire torso would have really cut into my flexibility. Still, even without the armor panels I was fairly certain it would take something very high powered, or armor piercing, to get through my vest.

The vest was as the name suggested, an actual vest, and not built into the body stocking. The armor panels ended up black, and the rest of the vest was a dark grey from the chemical treatment. It complemented the light grey of the body stocking nicely. If I got shot, and how I _really_ hoped I wouldn't be, I wanted to be able to replace the vest without having to start a whole new costume from scratch. I actually had a completed backup made already, and was partway into a third.

While the body stocking might preserve my modesty, I had still felt more exposed than I liked in it, even with the vest. So, I had added a short silk skirt. The skirt wasn't actually attached to the body stocking. Instead I attached it to the inside of the utility belt I had thrown together with a mixture of silk, pouches, and an old safety belt buckle painted black. It was enough to make me feel more comfortable in my costume, and frankly I thought it made the whole thing look better. I mean, it was all in shades of grey and black so it wouldn't ever be _cute,_ thank God, but between the slight emphasis of my chest by the armor, and the skirt, it was very clearly feminine. It had an edgy appeal to it that made me feel… powerful, attractive, _confident._ When I slipped into my costume I felt a bit like I was someone else. And wasn't that kind of the point?

My attempts at making boots from silk and chitin were best not talked about. Ever. Luckily black combat boots went with almost any superhero outfit.

That really only left one thing. My mask. Only, it wasn't exactly a mask anymore. I had wanted to let my hair rest normally but it just wasn't worth leaving the entire back of my head exposed. I had eventually settled on a helmet shaped to my head made out of my Kevlar substitute and an outer layer of chitin. I'd left myself with a small hole in the back through which I could feed my hair in a ponytail. The difference in hairstyle would hopefully help protect my identity. The mask portion was mostly silk, but for the eye holes covered by a pair of heavy duty, yellow, diving goggles, and a set of stylized mandibles made from chitin running along my jawline.

I had batted around a lot of names. Ant, Mantis, Hornet, Wasp, Swarm, before finally settling on Weaver. It wasn't a great name. But I was hopeful that once I was established I could find a way to get funding for a spider silk farm and sell costumes to other heroes. Maybe the police or military too. Though that would require an obscene quantity. Maybe just for spec ops? Though that was probably still thousands of people all told and with the amount of action they must see even in peacetime it would likely keep me very busy.

I shook of vague thoughts about future endeavors in favor of paying attention to my surroundings. Or rather paying attention to the insects that were working hard to map out my surroundings.

There were plenty of people out and about for all that Jump city saw a lot of meta activity it never seemed to slow down the party scene. At least not towards the city center. The residential and industrial districts did tend to slow down after dark.

There were a few places in the residential district you didn't want to be caught out late at night. Those areas were mostly run by the local triad branch known as the Dragon's Blood. They were a pretty nasty group who dealt primarily in human trafficking, gun running, and prostitution. They were mostly made up off normals with a variety of guns. However, they had a meta working for them by the name of Lung who could change into a ten foot tall dragon thing. Wings, scales, fire, claws, tail, the works. The only oddity was he stayed bipedal, which was just weird and ruined the image.

The Dragons Blood may have been the biggest gang in town but they weren't the only one. There was also a Yakuza group who served as the American branch of the Inagawa-kai. They controlled a good portion of the docks. They were the big name in town for drugs, smuggling, loan sharks and illegal gambling. Though that was their illegal activities they also had a lot of legal deals involving real estate and the restaurant business. Again, they were mostly normals with guns, but they had their own muscle in the form of a teleporting ninja named Oni.

There was occasionally some tension between the two groups but most of that was racial or cultural. The fact that they were not really infringing on each other's primary markets led to a sort of informal truce. Most conflicts between the gangs boiled down to a few over eager grunts. And never seemed to escalate into anything bigger.

This early in my career it was best to avoid both groups. The Dragon's Blood wouldn't hesitate to kill me and I wasn't confident that bugs could deal with Lung. The Inagawa-kai were almost worse. Oh, they wouldn't hesitate to kill me if I made myself too much of a nuisance, but they excelled at keeping their image above board. Everyone knew they were criminals, but they were exceptionally hard to pin down. If they spun things right they could even get a warrant put out for my arrest. Any action against them had to be airtight or they would only weasel out of it.

So for now, I was playing it safe and avoiding both their areas like the plague. Instead I was flitting through a small patch that made the border between the residential and industrial district. The gangs avoided it, but it was home to a lot of car jackers, pickpockets, and other street crime. Perfect for someone just starting out.

My past few trips hadn't really turned up anything for me to stop. And going on hour three of traipsing through back allies this night seemed to be a bust as well.

With a sigh I leaned against an alley wall. Even with every insect in three blocks I just couldn't seem to find anything. Maybe I just wasn't cut out for the life of a crime fighter? I mean I ran to stay in shape but it wasn't like I really knew how to fight. And sure, I had powers but really bug control, was I just kidding myself? Maybe I should just go into the extermination business. Nice safe boring life as the weird woman who gets rid of bugs for a living. Yeah, lovely life plan that I've got there.

I don't even know what I'd been thinking coming out here like this. It's not like criminals were just going to fall out of the sky.

A burst of red light and a startled squawk directly above me had me looking up just in time to have someone in a black suit with red highlights crash into me as they fell out of the air. For a few seconds my brain was occupied with cataloguing some light bruises I had just acquired and trying to understand what the hell had just happened.

"Ahhh, crap. The teleporter still needs some serious calibration." The heavily synthesized male voice groaned from on top of me. "Oh, shit, you alright?!"

"Get off." I ground out.

"Sorry, sorry." He said scrambling off. "This was supposed to be the field test for my gear. Apparently the teleporter needs some fine tuning. I was supposed to end up at the mouth of the alley." With a sigh I accepted an offered hand and he pulled me back to my feet.

"It's fine I'm basically done for the night. Not like I was doing any good out here anyway." I said with a shrug before turning to leave. I only made it a few steps before the boy slid in front of me hands up in front of his chest.

"Hey, hold up what's with the defeatist talk? You look like you mean serious business in that get up."

"Yeah, great. My powers helped me make a great costume. Hooray. I can't even find a pickpocket to stop, never mind a real crime."

I took a step forward and to the right only for the boy to match with a step back and to the side. I finally took a moment to get a good look at him and his outfit. He was maybe a few inches taller than me and wore a black body suit that showed off some decent muscles. His gloves, belt, and cape were light grey and he his mask was a stylized, bone white, skull. A lopsided red x made of angled slash marks was proudly displayed on his chest and mask.

"A hero, really? With an outfit like that? I'd have guessed villain, or at least thief. Did you mean for it to come out looking so, femme fatale?"

I felt myself blush lightly under my helmet but did my best to seem unaffected. I rested a hand on my hip leaning it out a bit and tilted my head. I might not be used to this, but I wasn't antisocial Taylor Hebert right now. I was Weaver, edgy hero in a very flattering costume. I wasn't about to flub things with a guy who would actively pay me compliments.

"Well not at first maybe. But I'm just your fragile everyday human. I need all the protection I can get. I might not have expected my materials to come out such dark colors, but I decided to just own it rather than play around with dies." I swapped hips leaning the other way now. "Besides it's a good fit for my power." I let my voice take on a slightly teasing lilt.

"Oh, your powers? And what might those be?"

"Hmmm." I turned on the balls of my feet starting to walk the other way. "I don't know if I should tell you. After all, for all I know you may be an enemy." I smirked under my helmet as he once again slipped around in front of me this time leaning up against the alley wall with his shoulder.

"Well then, how about a trade? Tit for tat."

"Oh, why so interested, mystery man?"

"Oh, I've got a bit of a weakness for long legs and dark hair. I'd simply never forgive myself if I let such a lovely lady slip away without at _least_ getting a name and number." I couldn't quite stop the small giggle that got out of me. This was really great. Now why did I have to go running around in costume to get this kind of reaction from the boys?

"Hmm tit for tat. Well I suppose that works. I'm Weaver, I'm hoping to be a hero, but so far, I haven't had much luck. Now what about you, mystery man?"

"Red-X, future thief extraordinaire!" He proclaimed with a dramatic bow.

"Oh, should you really be so happily declaring your intent to break the law to a future hero?"

"Well probably not, buuuut given the future hero hasn't tried to capture little old me just yet... I'm wondering if perhaps I stand a chance anyway?" I couldn't fight the smile off of my lips even if I had wanted to, and I was infinitely grateful for the helmet hiding my blush.

"I don't know, perhaps I could convince you to give up the life of crime?" I only half teased leaning forward a bit as I did so.

"Hmm. I don't know. That would be a terribly high order. After all a guys got to look out for number one. What about you? Any chance I could convince you to join me in my life of crime? The whole world your playground, and everything your heart desires yours for the taking?" I tapped thoughtfully at the edge of my mask.

"I must say, Red, you do make a convincing argument. Though I'm not quite sold on the idea…" I hummed thoughtfully. I really was enjoying this. And it's not like I'd made much progress as a hero… He did claim he only wanted to be a thief. That wasn't half as bad as being a villain. Still, the idea of stealing made my stomach squirm in uncomfortable ways. But I really didn't want to say goodbye when I was having such a good time…

"How about a bet then." I said leaning back. "You try playing the hero, and I'll try playing the thief, and we'll see which one is better together." Red-X gave a little jerk away from the wall. I assumed I'd caught him off guard with that one and tallied up a point for me.

"Hmm, well I suppose that would be fair." He hummed. "Does this mean I get the fair ladies' number?" With a chuckle I nodded my head.

"I suppose it does." I smiled.

The whole trip home felt like I was dancing on air. I had a date. A weird working date with a man in a mask, but it was a _date._ And it was mine, and he was interested in _me._ I couldn't wait.


	21. Archer

**AN: I recently discovered Fate Stay Night. I'm torn about it. There's a bit too much grim derp dancing around, and Japan's weird take on simplified pop psychology always leaves me wondering if they just make shit up or if they've done a lot more research than most and I just don't know enough to recognize it. That said a few things twigged in my head and before I knew it I had a plot that made at least some sense. I hope… For all I know I've completely fucked it up. Like I said I'm not too clear on a lot of things about the setting.**

 **So, this one is up for adoption. If anyone wants it please let me know. I've got a few ideas just to give Taylor a few little quirks that should separate her from Archer more that I'd like to offer, but otherwise I'm just hoping to give this one away to a good home.**

 **Don't own worm, don't own Fate Stay Night. Hope you enjoy even if this one is a bit short.**

* * *

With a gasp I pinwheeled my arms and tried to get my tired cramped legs under me properly. The locker was gone, the filth was gone, the whole fucking _school_ was gone!

Looking around the scenery kept changing. One moment I was in a pure white room. The next I was in a massive library. Another moment passed and I was suspended in the black of space, stars winked back at me in the millions.

"That's quite enough of that, I think." A calm male voice spoke from behind me. As he finished speaking the surroundings changed one final time. Now I found myself in a perfectly normal if fancy sitting room. The centerpiece of the room was a small circular table set for tea with a chair on either side. Sitting in one chair already was a very tall man with white hair. He wore black body armor that showed off the kind of abs you could grate cheese on. He also wore some sort of red sleeves that covered his shoulders and were held together only by a large tied off string.

"Ah, Taylor. Please, take a seat." I could only stare wide eyed.

"I've gone crazy." I finally mumbled as I almost fell into the open chair. "The stress was too much and I finally snapped and went insane.

The man only shook his head and poured me a cup of tea. Without really looking I absentmindedly took a sip. The flavor was unlike anything I had tried before.

"It's oolong with jasmine." The man stated calmly. "As an American I realize you are likely more familiar with black tea, but I thought you might appreciate trying something new."

"It's delicious." It really was. Something about the flavor almost radiated peace and calm.

"I'm glad you like it. Now, to business. I am Counter Guardian Emiya. But please, call me Archer."

I licked my suddenly dry lips. I didn't really want to know where this was going I was still half convinced I was losing my mind. Still, I'd rather be here and insane, than sane and still trapped in my locker. Probably.

"Ok, Archer. I'm Taylor Hebert."

"Nice to properly meet you, Taylor." He said with a bit of a smile. "There is a great deal of information I need to explain to you. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of time just yet so it's going to have to be the cliff notes version, for now. To be honest a lot of the details won't matter to you anyway."

I settled for simply sipping more of my tea.

"The broad strokes of it are that magic is real. If far more complicated than popular culture would have you believe."

Am I still crazy if my delusions sound crazy to me?

"Part of that means that both the planet earth and the general will of humanity are both… lets say aware, and capable of intervening. My job as a Counter Guardian is to intervene and destroy whatever might be threatening to end humanity. Usually that means certain groups of humans. But not this time. Let me show you something."

With a wave of his arm the room dissolved back into the expanse of space. Though the table, chairs and tea remained. Archer turned a bit and pointed. Following his finger, I saw _them_. Two massive shapes. Crystalline worms, spiraling around each other as they moved through the black.

"May I introduce to you, our enemy. They are beings unlike anything found on earth. On _any_ earth. Their bodies are an insane fusion of crystalized magical energy and organic matter. They are also the source of what you call powers."

"What?!" I whipped my head away from the, _things,_ to look at Archer. He never took his eyes off of them though.

"Indeed. They detach pieces of themselves, and the pieces settle on alternate versions of earth. Then they establish connections to humans through a pair of growths in the brain. Each shard is capable of a different kind of magical ability, and by providing power for, and allowing humans to use those powers they gather more data about the ability allowing the shards to refine themselves." He calmly explained.

"Then, when the creatures decide they have collected enough information. They convert the planet, every instance of the planet, and the systems star and other planets as well, into enough raw magic to replace what the shards used, and to rebirth themselves. Then they travel to another planet and begin the process anew."

I was shaking. I was terrified. What he was saying was insane. Utterly and completely insane! But with every word there was a bone deep chill and a certainty that he was telling me the truth.

"Were lucky. One of them, the intelligent one, is already dead. That alone makes what could have been impossible only extremely difficult. Honestly, I couldn't even guess what our odds are, but we at least have a chance."

"These things have done everything they can to limit us. They settled on an earth without mages, and they have done their best to keep the spirit of earth, and humanity, away from their true selves. Working together though, those two forces managed to hijack one of the shards. The shard that would have connected to you. They overwrote the thing and made it a vessel for me instead."

Finally, Archer turned to face me.

"My abilities, my power, my experience, and knowledge. All of that plus a source of magical power so large you likely couldn't deplete it in twenty lifetimes. And we are going to pit all that against the remaining entity."

The teacup in my hand shook violently as I placed it down on the table.

"Why me? What the hell makes _me_ the best choice to try and stop that, _thing!_ "

"Honestly? It could have been anyone. But that shard was chosen in part because it was a good match for my abilities, and in part because it looked for hosts who would, when motivated, fight even seemingly impossible battles. People who were creative enough to find unexpected solutions. People with drive to see their course of action through to the end. That's you, and like it or not that's what humanity needs right now."

"This is crazy." I whispered. "You're crazy, or hell maybe I'm crazy!" My voice got louder as I spoke. "The source of powers? Alien super worms who want to destroy everything? You want _me_ to save the world!" I was shouting now. "I can't even deal with a few bullies! How the hell am I supposed to save the world?!"

Archer didn't say anything at first. He just stared at me with a serious look. Finally, he sighed and placed his tea cup back on the table.

"I'm truly sorry. I know this is a lot to take in. I know it isn't fair to you. But you are who we have to work with. You are the best and only shot we've got. When I volunteered for this there were already a handful of plans in the works for getting you some backup." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before refocusing on me again. "But those will take time to prepare. Some of them require our help to get started. A number of them are also the kind of plan that calls for sacrifices to be made. Even my being here is coming at a price."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm connected to you, and to the shard. The entire point of my presence here is to grant you my abilities… but those abilities are unique to me. Eventually, I'll be completely subsumed. Then you'll be all that's left. Albeit a you who has been heavily influenced by me. I will fade away until I die, and you will be changed."

"That's insane." I whispered. Then I started to shout. "I don't want to be changed! I don't want someone to die just so I can get some power! I just want, I want…" what did I want? For the trio to leave me the hell alone. For my life to not suck. For Dad to get his shit together and remember me. For Mom to never have died. For this insane mess to not be my problem.

"Such is the way things are. The world has need of you, humanity has need of you, and they don't bother to ask. All that is left is for you to adapt. There aren't any other options." He glanced to the side.

"Our time is up. You're starting to wake up. If you are still trapped I'll take over long enough to get you out."

"What are you" and then I was back in the locker still trapped. The brief break from the smell had let my nose recover slightly and now I was being hit with the stench all over again. I dry heaved for a moment before I felt my body leave my control.

"I was afraid this would happen." It took me a moment to realize that the voice I was hearing was my own. "Pay attention, Taylor. This is the basis for my entire style of combat. You'll need to learn how to do this, and the sooner the better."

I felt energy, _power,_ flow through me. In my mind I could see a dusty series of hills illuminated by a setting sun. Everywhere embedded in the ground were blades. They numbered in the countless thousands. The scenery seamed to whip by until I saw a pair of crossed blades, short but wide, one black and the other white.

"Trace, on." The power surged and suddenly my hands were holding the two blades. In the blink of an eye my body still completely beyond my control moved and the locker door was cut off, falling to the ground with a clatter. My body stepped out of the filth. The swords faded away in particles of light… and I was back in control.

Funny, for hours I had only wanted out. Now I had my wish, and I had no idea what to do next. My body could be stolen from me at a moment's notice. I had powers I didn't even begin to understand. I had an older man riding shotgun in my fucking head who wanted me to save the world! For fucks sake I just, I just.

It was too much. My vision started to swim turning black around the edges. I couldn't seem to get enough air into my lungs no matter how much air I tried to take in. Then the floor was rising up to meet me as I fell forward.


	22. Archer 2

**So apparently I actually managed a decent fusion of the concepts because no one chewed me out, though I did get the cliffnotes explained to me.**

 **There was someone who questioned why I thought the fate half was too grimdark compared to worm. watching fate zero I almost put the remote through the tv when they showed what was happening to Sakura. I've got a hell of a protective streak when it comes to kids. I know worm did terrible things to kids too, but well, sometimes seeing things makes the impact stronger I suppose. The fact there were several people the nine would have welcomed like long lost family certainly didn't help any.**

 **Still would rather pass this one along to a good home with someone who really knows the series inside and out, but well... I had an itch, and just started working on this and about a half dozen other fics over the past week. Pretty happy with how it turned out, though I'm less sure how I'd pick things up again after this. let me know what you all think :)  
**

* * *

I dreamed of wandering a desolate wasteland. The sky was a cloudy, rusty, crimson, that seemed to be illuminated from everywhere and nowhere. Giant gears made of dull iron hung suspended in the air, constantly grinding away without any driving force. The landscape was dead. Low hills rolling on forever, but without a single blade of grass to soften their appearance, or bind the dirt which made them. Clouds of dust choked the world, clinging to the ground like a heavy mist blown ever onward by dry winds carrying the smell of ash. And everywhere I looked, sticking out of the ground like gravestones, were swords.

{}{}{}{}

Gasping, panting, I shot up into a sitting position… in a hospital bed? _'Was it all a dream?'_

" _Welcome back, Taylor."_ The familiar voice echoed in my head.

I shrieked, a little. "Archer?"

" _Still here, Taylor."_

"I thought it was dream. A nightmare."

" _I'm afraid not."_

"So that thing is really out there. And it really is going to destroy everything?"

" _Yes."_ I closed my eyes and brought my knees up so that I could bury my face in them. For a few moments I focused on just breathing. It was all I could do for the moment. That and tremble. I couldn't even control it; my body would simply not stop trembling.

"I'm not ready." I murmured into my knees. "I'm not in shape. I don't know how to fight. I don't even know what to expect from that thing or how to get to it in the first place. More than that… Archer, do you know just how dangerous this world really is? If I make a mistake before I'm ready, before we fight that _thing,_ I could die and never even get a shot at it." I wasn't giving up. In spite of how it might sound I _wasn't_ giving up. I just needed to know if Archer really understood what we were up against.

Archer's sigh echoed in my mind. _"Perhaps not fully. I have some idea based on your knowledge, but it's incomplete. For all that you are native to this world you have never seen any capes in combat. Let alone these_ Endbringers. _I will not lie, this will be difficult, and I do not know if we can expect any further help_ , _though I am sure others will continue to try. Now that they know how to do so they may be able to more easily send other spirits the same way… though most would not be so willing to see their existence come to an end."_

I latched onto the last bit, putting the rest aside. "Why were you willing to come here if it meant dying?"

For long moments Archer remained silent. _"To be a Counter Guardian is to subject oneself to an eternity of killing. Always those deaths serve humanity. We kill those that would put all of humanity at risk… But it is a horrible, and empty existence. The chance to be a part of saving the earth, of saving_ all _earths. Of being able to leave something other than corpses in my wake. The chance for this horrible existence to_ finally _end."_ His voice was thick with emotion. Vicious glee and anticipation warred with something that seemed almost religious, and _hope_. Hope carried more clearly in his voice than anything else. _"Taylor, this chance, this last mission, this is everything I want."_

As Archer spoke my trembling slowed and finally stopped. Archer was here to die. I could feel it down to my bones. He was here to help, and fight, and _save_. But just as much as all those things he was here to die. Even if we succeeded, he would die. He was counting on it.

"I see. I guess I'll have to be sure to never accept a job offer as a Counter Guardian." I said trying for just a little bit of levity. Archer seemed to appreciate the attempt going by his chuckles.

" _Yes, I would highly recommend never accepting such an offer."_ He answered wryly.

"So, what do we do now?"

" _Now? We do everything we can to prepare you."_

Before I could respond the door to my hospital room opened. Rather than a Nurse or Dad like I would have expected, Miss Militia, of all people, walked in.

" _A hero? Damn it. We do not need this kind of attention. Not so soon at least."_

"Miss Hebert? How are you feeling?"

"I, well, not great. But I'm clean which is a relief." I answered honestly. _"What is she even doing here?"_

" _I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough."_

I blinked. Archer had answered my question? But I hadn't even asked it? _"You can hear my thoughts?"_

"I'm glad you're comfortable at least."

" _Yes, but only when you put them in words. With practice you'll be able to limit it to what you want me to hear."_

I absently nodded to both of their statements but otherwise remained silent. I would have to practice keeping my thoughts private. _"This is going to be awkward enough without Archer hearing every little thing that goes through my head."_

" _True, but I'm sure you will get it eventually."_ Archer's response sounded vaguely amused.

" _Damn it."_

"Miss Hebert, Taylor, I hate to ask about this, but you cut yourself out of your locker. We can tell from how the edges looked. You had no tools or blades with which to do so, and from that position you would have had terrible leverage. How did you escape?"

" _Don't tell her anything."_

" _I think it's a bit late for that, Archer. She already knows I somehow cut myself out when I physically couldn't have."_

" _...True. However, that doesn't mean you should give away tactical information about your capabilities just because someone asks."_

" _You're a bit paranoid, you do know that, right?"_

" _Fate of all earths in our hands. A bit of healthy paranoia is not a bad thing."_

"Miss Hebert?" I glanced up at Miss Militia's tone before glancing away again.

" _I need to tell her something!"_

" _... couldn't you just, not?"_

" _No!"_

" _It's not like you have any kind of legal requirement to answer."_

" _Alright, legally I don't need to answer. But practically speaking they already know something is going on… And I can't think of anything that might convince her otherwise. Can you?"_

Miss Militia seemed content to let me keep my silence for now, but that couldn't last forever.

" _No… no I can't. Alright, I don't like it, but you are right. Just, keep the information to a minimum."_

" _That should be easy enough. After all, I don't even know what I can do yet."_ Archer's answering chuckle sounded strained but I still took it as a good sign.

"I cut myself out." I finally answered. I couldn't quite bring myself to look her in the eye while I answered though.

"I see, how did you cut yourself out?"

"With a pair of swords I made. They didn't last very long though. I, don't think I'm very good with my powers just yet."

" _Not bad. All mostly true and it tells her nothing important."_

"That's, interesting. Is there any chance you could show me?"

"Well, I, um."

" _Taylor, we've been linked for less than a day. And you've only seen me use my magic once. You're not ready. Tracing my blades now is impossible for you."_

" _If I don't show her she's just going to be even more suspicious!"_

Archers groan reverberated through my mind. _"I never expect this mission to be so damn troublesome. At least not so early on. I'm going to need to take control again for this."_

" _Why do I feel like this is going to be a recurring theme for us?"_

" _Just put your all into learning and soon enough it won't be."_

His peace said I felt my consciousness slip into the back of my own mind as my body moved on its own. Shoulders squared, back straightened, my expression shifted to something calm and determined and I knew as I saw the shock and tension run through Miss Militia that we had made a major mistake.

"Trace on." My voice, but not my tone of voice. Swords, black and white and gleaming brilliantly, formed in my hands and all of a sudden, I was back in control. I couldn't even begin to fight the reflexive flinch backwards as a curled in on myself again slightly.

That was all she needed to see. Miss Militia was out of her chair and had retreated back to the doorway. Her power, which had previously been in the shape of a small knife at her side, danced through the air as restless green energy, snapping from one form to the next rapid fire. Her eyes danced back and forth between the blades and I.

"Miss Hebert?"

"I, yes?"

"What was that?"

"I don't…"

"Miss Hebert, please don't make any hostile movements. I'm going to require you to go through master stranger testing. Please cooperate and we'll do everything we can to help you, I promise."

I could hear Archer cursing a blue streak though I didn't really pay it much attention. With a groan I slumped back into my hospital bed and dropped the blades to the floor. As if my day hadn't been long enough already.

{}{}{}{}

Three hours of seemingly random questions later I was finally left alone in a padded room with a trough for a toilet/shower, and a futon for a bed. I got it, really I did. But seriously? 'Have you recently smelled something that could best be described as fudge when there is no fudge?' Where the hell did something that random and off the wall come from? They hadn't even bothered to just ask me if I knew what was going on and why I suddenly changed body language like that.

Archer had at least done me the favor of not distracting me with a lot of comments during their testing. Which I appreciated, but it didn't change the fact that I could actually feel his mounting frustration and anger across whatever connection we shared. I was already frustrated enough on my own. I didn't need his on top of mine. More than that though I was just tired. It was just so fucking typical that nothing could go right for me. Even getting powers only managed to make my life worse in the end.

"Anyone out there listening to me by any chance?" I asked my ceiling as I laid out on the futon. I could feel a faint thread of interest from Archer. I ignored that too. After a minute with no answer I shrugged to myself and kept talking. "Fine don't answer me. Even if no one is listening right now I'd bet I'm being recorded. Just thought I should point out that none of you did the obvious thing and just asked me if I knew what was going on. Idiots."

Archer's laughter managed to drag a tired smile out of me as I closed my eyes. They were going to pull my secrets out of me sooner or later at this rate. But I was just so fucking _tired_ of the world beating on me. If I was going to get dragged along then damn it all I was going to get a few kicks of my own in!

{}{}{}{}

The sound of an annoyingly loud buzzer dragged me from sleep. Groggily, I rubbed at my eyes and glared at the door as it swung open. Standing in the doorway was an apologetic looking Miss Militia and a grumpy looking Armsmaster. With a groan I flopped back onto the futon and rubbed the palms of my hands over my eyes. Blinking I sat back upright and stared at the heroes for a moment.

" _Archer, why can I see without my glasses."_

" _Hmm? Oh, magic is helping optimize your body. You'll still need to work hard to reach human peak, but it'll come easier for you than a normal person. Once we get into self reinforcement you'll be able to surpass human capabilities as well."_

" _Right, one question answered. Four more in its place."_

"Miss Hebert, if you'll please come with us. We have prepared an interview room." Armsmaster spoke in a nearly dead tone of voice gesturing with the hand not carrying his halberd.

" _Hmm interesting weapon he has there. Gahh, I can understand parts of it. The outside makes sense, but the interior is a mess. Mixing magic and technology like that, it's giving me a headache."_

Ignoring Archer, I stood with a groan and fell in just behind Miss Militia and ahead of Armsmaster. With any luck something might actually get worked out today. We walked through the halls in silence for a few minutes before Miss Militia gestured through a doorway. Inside was a plain boring table with what looked to be an incredibly uncomfortable chair on either side of it. The walls are painted an aggravating off white and the room is lit by fluorescent bulbs which hum at a near inaudible but aggravating pitch. I hate it immediately.

Sitting in the far chair I can't help but fidget. Even knowing that the whole point of this room is to make me feel uncomfortable doesn't stop it from working. The whole thing is such a tired old cliché. On reflex I look left and right trying to guess which wall is the one way mirror. They even sent in a good cop and a bad cop. My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten yet this morning either.

Groaning again I rubbed at my eyes. "Look, can you two just drop the cliché cop interrogation methods for ten minutes? Just talk to me like normal people. I haven't even done anything wrong." I ground out, trying to get comfortable in the awful chair they had provided.

"I'm sorry, I don't" Miss Militia started to say before I cut her off with a glare.

"Bleakly painted room with no natural lighting." I deadpanned as a continued to glare. "Annoying humming light. Chair that is impossible to get comfortable in. Dragging me in here when I'm still half asleep and hungry. You even have a good cop bad cop routine going." I waved at Armsmaster. "News flash, even if it works it loses a bit of the impact when anyone who's ever read or watched something about cops can recognize exactly what you are doing."

Archer all but cackled from the back of my mind. Part of me wondered if he was already starting to influence me like he said he would. Maybe that was part of it, but I sort of doubted it. I was just really fed up with this. I hadn't done anything wrong. I'd been attacked, and I was being treated like a criminal for the horrible crime of escaping my rotting prison. It was just so much more of the bullshit I had come to expect from Winslow and I simply did not have the patience for any more of that after yesterday.

Miss Militia had the grace to at least look apologetic. Armsmaster just scowled. Dick. He wasn't my favorite local hero any more.

" _You missed the part where they left you to sweat overnight in isolation."_

" _Damn it, you're right. What the hell is their problem with me?"_

" _Why not just ask?"_

" _... you know what? That's a great idea."_

"Look, I really need to talk to the police about what happened to me yesterday. So if you could just tell me what the problem is I'd really like to resolve that and be on my way before Winslow manages to sweep the whole thing under the rug like they always do." I said, mostly managing to keep my voice level.

"Your case has been passed from the police department to us due to your parahuman status." Armsmaster said from his place by the door.

I looked to Miss Militia for confirmation, she simply nodded back.

"Ok, great, whatever. So long as they don't get away with this. I could care less who investigates. Can I give you my statement now and get out of here? I'd really like to see my Dad."

"Miss Hebert, when you used your power yesterday, it was like looking at a completely different person." Miss Militia spoke carefully, as if choosing each word was of some great importance. "Nothing truly worrying came up when we interviewed you yesterday, however, we had an empath watching part of your master stranger interview who swears you have two sets of emotions."

"Anything you say while suffering from an unknown master effect is suspect." Armsmaster cut in. "Your testimony wouldn't be acceptable in court, and while you are affected you are essentially considered a potential threat to the public, and yourself."

" _I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I'm starting to wonder if it would have been smarter to_ not _cut you out of your locker."_

" _Shut up, Archer."_

"So, what you're telling me… is I was attacked, trapped, _tortured_ , and you're not going to do anything about it because you think I'm being mastered." I growled. "I said it yesterday and I'm going to say it again now, hopefully you will actually listen. Has it occurred to you to just ask what's happening with me?"

"Any answer you might give to such a question is inherently unreliable." Armsmaster answered robotically.

Miss Militia shot her coworker a slight glare. "It's not that we won't investigate, it's just that your testimony can't be part of that investigation, at least not unless we can corroborate it. Until you are cleared at any rate. If you think you know who or what is causing the effect on you, we will listen, but we can't just take you at your word."

" _This is ridiculous. I've half a mind to just kill them all and walk us out of here."_

" _Archer that is without a doubt the stupidest, most short sighted plan I have ever heard. So, either shut up or offer me a useful suggestion!"_

" _All right, all right, not like I was being serious."_

"I can't use my powers, not yet anyway. They belong to someone else and he hasn't had the time to teach me how to use them."

"Powers don't work that way." Armsmaster scowled at me. I just shrugged.

"It's how mine work. Until I can l learn the only way for me to use them is to give him control." I shook my head. "Look if you're not going to let me go, and you're not going to listen to what I have to say then just put me back in the other room and send me some breakfast. At least the futon was comfortable. If you want to actually do something productive then the ringleaders of what happened to me yesterday are Emma Barnes, and Sophia Hess, maybe Madison Clements too."

Both heroes stiffened.

" _Oh, now what's that reaction about I wonder?"_

" _I don't know."_ I responded, eyes narrowed as I drilled Miss Militia with a look. _"How much do you want to bet it's something important?"_

" _No bet."_

"You suddenly look even less comfortable than I feel. Care to share what's on your mind?"

"None of your concern. If you refuse to cooperate then we'll have to return you to master stranger confinement." Armsmaster replied rather sharply. I favored the man with my best withering glare.

"What is there to cooperate with? You've barely asked me anything, and you've dismissed everything I've had to say on some bullshit catch twenty two about me being mastered. How long can you even justify holding me anyway?"

Miss Militia shared a glance with Armsmaster before answering me. "We can hold you as long as a week for observation. If the effects persist it is possible you could be transferred to a facility dedicated to dealing with individuals that have been mastered."

I rubbed at my forehead. "Seriously, are there even any Master's in the city who can affect people? Because if there aren't this just sounds like so much corrupt bullshit."

"Jean Paul Vasil." Armsmaster spoke flatly. I was beginning to wonder if the man was capable of positive voice inflections.

" _Is that name supposed to mean anything to you? I thought most capes use codenames?"_

" _They do."_

"Who? I'm sorry, but I don't follow capes that closely. Is that someone who was outed recently?"

Miss Militia and Armsmaster shared another look but didn't really say anything.

"Look I'm seriously running out of patience here. If you don't start making some kind of sense, I'm going to just ignore you and see if Archer is willing to start my lessons so I can actually make use of my powers sometime this century."

With a sigh of his own Armsmaster waved for me to stand as he opened the door to the interrogation room and led me back to my previous room. Miss Militia followed behind me this time.

Once back inside the room I plopped down on the futon. _"Alright, Archer. Looks like we have nothing but time on our hands. So, teach me magic."_

Archer's warm chuckles echoed through my mind. _"Alright then, Taylor. Let's get started."_


	23. Archer 3

**AN: Well... This happened. Seriously I just could not leave this story alone and what was going to be a fairly brief update just _grew._ Happy belated Turkey day everyone. Don't own anything, no money is being made, read and review.**

* * *

 **{}{}{}{}Three weeks post trigger; Massachusetts long term Master recovery ward.**

" _Red!"_

Quick as a flash a dart with red tail fins shot across the room and sunk into my dartboard.

" _Blue! Green! Yellow! Red! Polka Dots!"_

The first four color matched darts I managed with ease, but I fully admit to flubbing the last one. I was so thrown off by the weird directive that I lost concentration and the dart wound up lopsided enough to go badly off course.

"Damn it, Archer. They asked me to try not putting holes in their wall, remember? That's the whole reason they even let me have the dartboard." I let the traced darts fade.

" _Just keeping you on your toes, Taylor."_

"No you're not." I dismissed his excuse. "You're just looking for some amusement. Admit it, you're as bored as I am."

" _Well, maybe. It's just such a waste. You're never going to use darts as a real weapon. It's been a useful practice tool. Being able to quickly trace simple things and even make small quick adjustments too them is a good start, but we've barely scratched the surface. It's good progress and you are learning quickly but if we don't get more freedom for you to practice…"_

"I know, I _know_. I need to keep learning. Sword fighting, archery, general fitness. And I'm not even close to being able to trace a noble phantasm yet."

" _You are getting there. But no, you aren't ready yet."_

With a growl I traced a throwing star and chucked it at the dartboard. It produced a much more satisfying thump than the darts did. Even so, it did very little to actually calm me down. Turning away I stared out of my barred window. Not that there was much to see, just grass and the tree line.

Two weeks I'd been stuck here. It was an all right place, but I was a prisoner here. I had barely seen Dad because of the distance and the Master Stranger bullshit. More than that though they kept poking and prodding and asking me questions. Quite often the same questions again and again as if they expected my answers to change. Hell, maybe they did expect my answers to change.

I kept telling them what Archer and I had agreed to tell them. We left magic out of it, and the stuff about the source of powers wanting to devour earth across as many dimensions as possible. But otherwise I explained as best I could what was going on. I also neglected to discuss just what Noble Phantasms were really capable of. All I would say was that Archer had some weapons with unique abilities and I didn't know too much about them yet.

To be fair, I really didn't know much about them. Archer had told me about some of his favorites, but that was a mere handful. He had _thousands_.

Two more throwing stars joined the first. These were at least potentially useful, unlike the darts. They were also easier to aim.

" _I wonder if it's too soon for you to try tracing a weapon with velocity. Probably best to wait until we can at least get safety glass for you to stand behind. My first few attempts with that technique were a bit… unpredictable."_

"What do you mean, 'tracing a weapon with velocity?'"

" _Velocity; a vector with both magnitude and direction. In other words you apply direction and speed to something as you trace it. I called it trace bullet because I essentially fired traced weapons like bullets."_

"You can do that?! That's amazing! How do I do that?"

" _Easy, Taylor. My first attempt almost buried a sword into my foot. Let's wait until you have actual room for testing things safely."_

"Stingy." I grumbled half heartedly. Archer didn't respond, but I could feel a bit of amusement coming from him.

"Miss Hebert?" Someone called as they knocked on my door.

"It's locked, but feel free to come in if you have a key." I snarked. All the doors here locked from the outside. Not that something as simple as a locked door could stop me, but breaking out would just have the Protectorate hounding me. That, and I strongly suspected the entire building was rigged with containment foam.

A thought dissolved the throwing stars as I dropped onto my bed. I briefly toyed with the idea of tracing a blunted butterfly knife just to mess with whoever it was but dismissed the idea. No matter how amusing it might be it wasn't worth giving these people another reason to hold me here. Wonder who it would be this time anyway?

I started drumming my hands against the bed as I heard a key turn in the lock. _"And the mystery guest star of the day iiiis~"_ Archer chuckled lightly at my antics. We had both learned rather quickly to make our own entertainment or be bored to tears. _"Doctor Conner, rocking the latest fall psych ward wear. White thicker than hospital scrubs and a pair of black shoes that don't match at all. And just look at the shine he's getting off his head! What do you think, Archer, does he wax or polish?"_

Archers amused snort made my grin grow a bit. The man wasn't much for making jokes, and he tended to get really serious from time to time. So, the fact he appreciated my atrophied sense of humor was always gratifying. It was really nice, always having a friend to talk to.

"Good afternoon, miss Hebert. You seem to be in a good mood today." The doc said favoring me with a gentle smile.

"Ahh well, I'm getting pretty good with the basics of my power. Archer was just telling me about a cool trick that he says he'll teach me when I've got more room to practice in."

The doc nodded along. I had to admit he was a good actor. They all think I'm fucked in the head, but looking at them when they talk with me you would never know it.

"I may actually have some good news on that front then."

"Wait, what?"

" _What?"_ Archer echoed me.

"Myself and the rest of the staff assigned to your case have reached a consensus that you are _not_ suffering from any Master or Stranger effects."

"Yes!" I shouted. Jumping off the bed I stuck my fists in the air and whooped.

" _Oh thank the Root. Another week of this and I'd have begged you to let me cut us out of here."_

" _Two more weeks and I might have let you!"_

Then I noticed the Doctor wincing, slightly. And just like that I knew we weren't free and clear quite yet. Groaning, I sank back onto the bed.

"What's the catch?" I asked. Doctor Conner at least had the grace to look sheepish.

"The fact you aren't suffering from a traditional master stranger effect is a good thing… however, you have tripped a few red flags farther up the line. A few professionals believe this may be a case of power augmented Dissociative Identity Disorder. You have probably heard it called multiple personality disorder though. Also, someone compared Archer speaking in your mind with the Butcher and, well…" He trailed off but I didn't need him to explain past that.

"Fuck."

" _The Butcher?"_

" _Anyone who kills the Butcher ends up with the voices of all the previous Butchers shouting in their head, as well as weakened versions of the predecessor's powers. They all end up going functionally insane, if there is such a thing, and are the leader of the Teeth. Which is one of the most violent gangs on the East Coast."_

" _Damn it."_

" _Exactly."_

"So, what happens now?" I asked.

"Now we transfer you to a facility for parahumans in New York for further observation. They have Parahuman specialists on staff there and will be better able to analyze your situation. Once they clear you, you'll be able to leave." He gave me a kind, sad, smile.

"...By facility, I assume you mean asylum. And when you say _once_ , you really mean _if_ they clear me." I wasn't really asking. I already knew.

"Doctor, I want you to think about this from my perspective for a minute. I got attacked and the stress was so bad I triggered. Something you yourself explained as ' _often the lowest point of a person's life._ ' I cooperated with the proper authorities, didn't lash out with my new abilities, all the stuff a good member of society is supposed to do… And my reward has been to get locked up for three weeks going on indefinitely." I managed to keep my voice level but I was glaring holes in the man, and there was more than a hint of suppressed violence in my tone.

"I am running out of patience. Archer is running out of patience. And despite how nice you all have been I do not want to spend the rest of my life being shuffled from one loony bin to the next." Now my voice was starting to rise. "When is there going to be any real progress? Or is this just going to be more of what I went through with Winslow, and the Protectorate? It's been three weeks and I haven't heard a word about the investigation they said they were going to conduct. And now you're saying that playing ball hasn't improved anything. If they think I'm a new Butcher things may even be worse now! At what point do I get to say enough and start demanding you people actually _do your damn jobs!"_

" _Well said."_

" _Thank you."_ I huffed back.

Doctor Conner shifted nervously and glanced towards what I suspected was a containment foam sprinkler. "Miss Herbert, I know this is stressful and unfair to you, but you're just going to have to have faith. I know this must be painfully slow for you, and I know it doesn't seem like it, but this _is_ progress."

" _How,_ is this progress?"

"With you cleared of Master/Stranger influence your testimony, which we have on record is admissible as part of the investigation. Though I'm not clear on what the state of the investigation may be." He shrugged apologetically. "As I said though, the facility we are transferring you to has actual Parahuman specialists. They will be able to help you were as we could only confirm you weren't being affected by a Master. I know it doesn't seem like much, but it is progress."

Growling under my breath I turned away from the Doctor and towards my dart board. A dozen throwing stars, each with different blade shapes later I felt at least slightly calmer. Letting the weapons fade I turned back to face the now much paler looking Doctor.

" _Fine._ " I managed to grit out. "I'll keep going along with this, _for now._ But I am getting very tired of this runaround, Doctor." Shaking my head, I let out a long sigh. I couldn't start blatantly threatening to just up and leave. It might make me feel better, but it would just make them more paranoid and any possible breakout more difficult. "When do I leave?"

"The PRT van should be here in a couple of hours."

"Fine, whatever. Leave me alone so I can pack." The man nodded and stood to leave. "And thank Jeff for the dart board for me. I don't think I'll get a chance to see him before I leave."

"I'll be sure to tell him." I thought I detected a hint of a smile in his voice but I was already busy putting my clothes into the small duffle bag they originally came in and didn't see his face.

" _Are you sure about this, Taylor? I could have us out of here in ten seconds flat."_

" _I know you could, and believe me I'm tempted. But I don't know enough to fight on my own yet and you are used to a completely different body. And neither of us has ever fought capes before. We're not ready."_

" _Perhaps, but we may never be ready either if you need to learn under these conditions. So, how long will you delay?"_

" _... I don't know, Archer. At least a full month from now… if they give us room to really practice and learn… three months, maybe longer if it seems like I'm actually going to get cleared. But if after that long we haven't gotten anywhere…"_

Archer gave a grunt that sounded like grudging agreement. _"Fine, but only if we actually get the space we need for you to practice and train."_

" _Agreed."_

 **{}{}{}{} New York State Asylum for Parahumans; two days after transfer**

"Hello, Taylor. And if the notes in your file are to be believed I suppose I should say hello, Archer, as well. My Name is Jessica Yamada."

"Nice to meet you, Doctor." The woman had an excellent poker face. Even better than Doctor Conner's. She didn't look even remotely concerned to be in the same room as me. Then again, I had asked around during meal times. From what the few other 'stable' patients could tell me a lot of the capes here were downright lethal, in some cases even when they didn't want to be. Viewed in that light a nonviolent patient who is only just learning to use their abilities must seem relatively safe.

"And you as well. If it's alright I wanted to ask you something about Archer before we continue."

"Sure." I responded with an easy shrug.

"I prefer to use real names with my patients, rather than cape names. Does Archer have any other name?"

"Uhh, well, he introduced himself as Counter Guardian Emiya, but he also said he preferred to go by Archer."

"Any reason for that?"

"I never asked. I just went with it I guess."

" _Anything you want to contribute?"_ His only response was an annoyed huff. I shrugged that off.

"Hmm and you said he introduced himself to you? Could you describe that in more detail?"

Well, this was a different line of questioning. It was always 'is he trying to make you do things?', and 'how does he make you feel?' Very few of the questions had been about Archer himself. Plenty about me. I'd made it very clear to Archer and the Doctors I was _less_ than thrilled to have a grown man riding shotgun in my head, but otherwise I was dealing.

"Sure, I guess. I was… trapped. You read about my trigger, right?"

"Yes."

I grimaced and shook my head. "Good. I've already had to talk about it too often as is." I took a long slow breath to help chase the memories away. "Point is one moment I'm... trapped, then the next I'm being served a type of tea I'd never had before by a tall muscular Asian man with white hair who looked, I don't know, late twenties? Early thirties?"

Doctor Yamada nodded politely but didn't say anything, so I pressed on.

"He introduced himself as Counter Guardian Emiya and said he prefers to go by Archer. He explained he was here to pass on his abilities and I'm just the person who got tapped to learn them."

"Interesting, did Archer choose you?"

I shook my head. "No, he could just as easily have ended up with any other fresh trigger."

"How do you feel about that?" I was really starting to hate that question.

"It's weird having an older guy living in my head. But he keeps his mouth shut and his attention away from my senses when I need to use the bathroom or wash so that helps. Feeling, echoes I guess, of his emotions can be annoying. I'm frustrated enough with all of this on my own. Knowing how frustrated he is with it doesn't really help."

"On the other hand, I haven't really had anyone I could just talk to since I started high school. Archer and I are both driven, he wants to teach, and I want to learn. So, we actually get along fairly well, and we agree on a lot of the more important things. I want to be a hero, and Archer supports that."

I looked the Doctor square in the eyes. Willing her to understand my determination.

"Archer's abilities are _powerful._ I've barely scratched the surface, but once I learn, or if I let him take over for the really dangerous fights…"

Doctor Yamada only hummed thoughtfully. "You said he turns his attention away to give you some privacy, and that he could take over. From the notes in your file I assume you mean he could take control of your body to fight more effectively than you can?" She asked, dodging what I had been saying and redirecting the conversation.

"Well, yeah, so?"

"How does Archer feel about spending so much time as a prisoner in your body?"

I opened my mouth to answer, then I closed it. "I don't know."

" _It's fine, Taylor. Odd and occasionally awkward, but this is_ your _body. I can hardly just claim it whenever I please."_

" _I appreciate that, Archer."_ I really did but that didn't make me feel better about being so thoughtless. _"If I'm going to have to let you grab control mid fight though I'll have to get used to letting you take control. I can't be fighting you for control in the middle of a battle."_

This was going to be so damn uncomfortable though. Trusting someone with my _body_ , with my _life_. I couldn't help shuddering just at the thought of it. And I knew Archer knew that too. I may not have put it into words but he could no doubt feel just how much the idea upset me.

" _Maybe, but if we are going to build up to that we'll take things slow."_

" _Thanks, Archer. I'm sorry I'm so-"_

" _Don't, Taylor. You have been through a lot. Trust like that isn't going to come easily. I understand. Anyone would be hard pressed to trust so deeply."_

I let out a long breath and nodded. Looking up I found Doctor Yamada staring at me like a hawk.

"You were speaking with Archer just now?"

"Um, yeah. He was saying he understands and it wouldn't be right to just take over someone else's body. And I, well, I was just thinking. I, might need to get used to letting him take over sometimes."

"Why?" Despite how focused the Doctor seemed her tone was completely neutral.

"I don't know how to fight yet. I barely know how to use the simplest aspects of my power. I'm about as dangerous as any untrained person with a knife. Archer knows how to fight, and he can use his full power. If I get in over my head, letting him have control might keep me alive."

"Why are you so set on fighting at all?"

Why was I set on fighting? Oh, no reason. The source of powers just wants to use all the earths as an all you can eat buffet. My hometown is controlled by gangs including _Neo-Nazis_ , and a human trafficking _dragon_. The Slaughterhouse Nine and the Endbringers _exist_. I never wanted to be trapped and powerless ever again. No reason, _really_.

I told her as much. Leaving out the bit about the things that grant powers.

"The need for control, and wanting to learn to protect yourself are natural reactions. Wanting to throw yourself into more fights, however, is not. The fact that you are even considering fighting things like the Endbringers when you say you are about as much threat as a normal human with a knife is highly concerning."

I raked a hand through my hair and did my best not to growl at the woman.

"Now? Right now, I'm not a threat. But in a few months, a year or two? I'll be able to make a wall of throwing knives and launch them at the speed of a fastball. If Archer isn't full of shit, I'll be able to bullseye moving targets a mile away with a bow and arrow. And that's just the _mundane_ stuff. Some of the weapons he can make might as well be separate powers all on their own."

"Having a lot of power doesn't mean you need to go out and risk your life fighting." She said it so matter of fact, but with an undertone I couldn't quite place.

I honestly had no idea what to say to that. Sure, in theory I didn't have to fight. I could give up right now. Try to live a normal, boring life. Ignore Archer until whenever he got fully subsumed and it was just me in my head again. But I would know. Every moment of my life I would know what was coming. I would know that one day the world would come crashing to an end because I had run and hid like a coward when I could have fought instead.

And that would only be the final shame. I would spend the rest of my life terrified of the chance an Endbringer might attack. Even though Archer had a few ideas we might try using against those monsters. Even regular capes or muggers might end up being too much for me if I rejected my powers.

I'd suffered so much to get this power. It was poor compensation for everything I'd been through, and the burden that came with it was _insane._ But despite all that it was _mine_ , or at least it would be someday. How could I possibly just throw it away?

"... Doctor, I don't know if this is going to make any sense to you, but I'm going to be able to make a difference. How could I live with myself if I ignored that? If choosing not to fight meant other people are going to die because I chose to be safe. And besides… I chose not to fight back before. It didn't stop people from hurting me, did it?"

"No, I suppose it didn't... Taylor, would it be alright if I spoke with Archer for a while?"

The question caught me off guard, but remembering what I'd just been discussing with Archer I took a deep breath and nodded. With the mental equivalent of taking a step back I left an opening that Archer, almost reluctantly, stepped in to fill.

The automatic shift in my posture was still jarring to feel, but it was also less extreme. Had I really gained so much confidence in just a few weeks that my posture changed that much? Or was this proof that I was being influenced by Archer, becoming more like him?

Then my body leaned back and my arms crossed over my chest. My mouth opened on its own and my voice came out. But the words were In Archer's familiar tone of voice; subtle condescension for almost everything and a hint of amusement.

"Well, Doctor, I have to admit you are the first person who has wanted to speak with me." Amazingly Doctor Yamada did not react at all to the sudden shift.

"Why wouldn't I want to speak with one half of the most interesting case I've seen in months?"

"Only months?"

"Mmm, I see quite a few interesting cases in this line of work. In your case there are a number of discrepancies that simply don't add up."

"Such as?" My left eyebrow hitched upward.

"The two leading theories proposed about your case are Schizophrenia or Dissociative Identity Disorder. But neither theory seems to match with the reality of the situation. You speak with Taylor as she goes through her life, this is common among people suffering from Schizophrenia. That being said, she hasn't showed any other symptoms. No hallucinations, disorganized speech, or strange behavior. And while I was concerned over her desire to learn to fight, most Parahumans seem compelled to seek out conflict. Her reasons are, if not sensible, at least understandable. Unless that changes in the coming weeks I believe we can rule out Schizophrenia."

"Well that's good to know." Archer responded with that sardonic lilt of his. "What about the other leading theory?"

"Dissociative Identity Disorder. The hallmark of the disorder is having at least two distinct personality states, or identities. It is believed that the disorder is caused by the mind struggling to deal with traumatic incidents, and when the mind isn't up to the task, it dissociates and a separate personality forms. Taylor's trigger event would certainly be considered suitably traumatic."

I could feel my heart sink. That matched up, really well. If the professionals were convinced, I was insane I was never going to be let out of here.

"There are, however differences. You two must choose to switch personalities. It doesn't just happen at random or because something triggers the switch. More than that, both personalities are aware simultaneously, and you can interact with each other freely. That is unheard of with DID."

She leaned forward in her chair.

"My job is to try and determine if Taylor is suffering from DID and her powers are somehow giving you more, _substance_. _Or_ if this is some new manor for powers to manifest that we just haven't seen before."

"I see." For once Archer managed to reign in his sass. He honestly sounded fairly subdued.

"I'd like to start by asking you about yourself. I don't know if anything you can tell me will prove things one way or another, but I believe it is a good place to start. What is your name? Tell me about your life."

" _... How are you holding up, Taylor? This might take a while. Will you be alright?"_

" _I'm… this is really weird, Archer. It's a little like being trapped again. Only I know I can be back in control if I need to be… I, I'll let you know if it's too much. Give me something else to focus on?"_

" _...Guess it's story time after all then."_

"I was raised in Fuyuki, Japan. I don't know if I was born there. My first memory is of wandering through an inferno, everything before that moment is a blank. I was… _rescued_ , and taken to the hospital. The man who found me in the fire adopted me soon after and gave me the name Shirou Emiya."

"Japan? Can you actual speak Japanese? Being able to speak a language Taylor doesn't know would go a long way towards proving she is not suffering from DID and that this is something power related." I could feel Archer start to grin. An actual grin, something that hinted at victory.

"Of course." Then my mouth started rattling off things I couldn't understand at all, and making sounds I was sure I wasn't capable of actually making.

The Doctor blinked in surprise. "Well, I wasn't really expecting _that_ , but I can see this is going to be a very interesting case indeed." Doctor Yamada gave me, Archer, _us_ a warm smile. "What else can you tell me about yourself Archer. You and Taylor say her power was originally yours did you trigger during the fire?"

"No, nothing like that. My, world I suppose, had individuals with strange abilities, but they weren't like the powers of this world. It was a mixture of science and a form or energy inherent to the individual. You could, with enough study and practice, learn to manipulate that energy but the effects were greatly varied and often passed down through families. The older the family the more knowledge they amassed and the deadlier they could be. That being said, the majority saw themselves more as scientist or researchers. Those like myself who worked to perfect or combat skills were in the minority."

"Taylor said you introduced yourself as a Counter Guardian. Where they a group that used their abilities to fight?"

My body shifted. I could guess that Archer was trying to decide how best to spin the story. Everything else he had explained so far was farfetched, but no less believable than spontaneously developing the ability to shoot lasers from your eyes. That said, the idea of serving the spirit of humanity after death… yeah that wasn't going to fly nearly so well.

"The Counter Guardians… Of everything I've done, agreeing to join the Counter Guardians is the thing I regret the most. The Counter Guardians were our final solution."

"I don't understand."

"Taylor has told me about some of the worst of your worlds Parahumans. Nilbog took over a town and turned all its inhabitants into monsters, correct?" The Doctor only nodded. "My world had something similar, we called them Dead Apostles. They were a lot like your myths about Vampires, if their victims turned into zombies. When a Dead Apostle surfaced the only response was to wipe out the town before the infection could spread. That is an example of what the Counter Guardians do." I wasn't sure if that bit was true or if he was just providing an example the Doctor might have an easier time relating to.

"Another is when some of those researchers would start playing with things deemed too dangerous. Not for the individual, but for the rest of humanity. The majority of the job was being sent in to eliminate such threats. To be a counter Guardian is to kill in the service of humanity. We killed hundreds so that thousands might live." The scariest part was I knew Archer was underselling things.

I wasn't sure if it was my place or not but I did my best to throw the mental equivalent of a hug Archers way. It boiled down to radiating feelings of peace and acceptance his way. I got a brief surge of gratitude in response.

Doctor Yamada said nothing. She seemed to have made an art out of the therapist's nonjudgmental acceptance face. I couldn't catch even a hint of what she might be thinking.

"From what Taylor has told me your world doesn't have an equivalent, for which I am immensely grateful. We did necessary work, but it was _horrific_." Archer hissed the last word. "Your existing system is less effective, and people suffer for it, but if it means Taylor won't have to kill endlessly like I did. I think I'll enjoy learning to capture and subdue enemies rather than kill them all. And if Taylor should ever run across people where that isn't enough," Archer's voice went hard, "I've been there enough times to know what to do, and how to help her through it."

" _Thank you."_ It was a bit disturbing to hear him talk like that but I knew he was looking out for me. Both to make sure I would survive and to help me deal with the effects of doing what might need to be done."

"The Protectorate frowns very heavily on killing. It tends to cause escalation from the surviving villains."

"Perhaps, but there are exceptions, like this Slaughterhouse Nine I've heard about. Some people need to die and if it's going to happen it's better to do it quickly and be done with it."

"As a therapist I try to advocate that issues be resolved by talking, but I won't deny that some people can't be reasoned with. One last question for now if that's alright?"

"Certainly."

"How did you end up here, as part of Taylor's power?"

Archer sighed and leaned back in our chair. "I was in a fight I couldn't possible win I had the skill but not the raw power I needed to win. Then something offered me the power I needed."

"Something?"

My head shook sided to side. "I don't know what it was." He lied easily. "It promised me the power to win, to save the people who were counting on me. But the price was to pass my skills onto someone it chose. I died shortly after that battle." I made a mental note of how vague that answer was but let it go without comment for now. "The next thing I remember was meeting Taylor." My shoulder shrugged as Archer finished speaking.

"I see." The Doctor looked down at the table apparently digesting that answer. Honestly if I didn't know the truth, I'd be lost in thought too. For all that it was a lie what Archer was saying could launch entire knew theories about the source of powers.

"I, well, we have a request." Archer changed the subject.

"Oh?" Doctor Yamada seamed, not surprised, but curious at least.

"If the facility has a gym we would like access so Taylor can get in shape. If there is enough open space, I'd like to start teaching her swordsmanship. I'd really like to teach her Archery but for that I think we will need a space outdoors, and I doubt anyone is going to trust us that much just yet. Though if in the future we could arrange a few supervised training sessions for her to get some practice and learn to project weapons with velocity that would be fantastic."

Doctor Yamada nodded slowly, digesting the request. "There is a small gym here, and I think you can be cleared to use it without posing a risk to the other patients or staff. There might be enough room for sword practice if you don't move around too much? I'll have someone take you later. As for getting outside to practice, I'm afraid it's too soon for me to promise anything like that."

My body sighed. "Well it's not ideal, but it's better than nothing. I suppose that will have to do for now. If there is nothing else right now Doctor, I'll pass control back to Taylor. I've already been in control longer than ever before. I don't want to push things before she gets comfortable with trusting me." The Doctor nodded and in a reversal of early Archer stepped back and I stepped forward.

I shook myself like a wet dog as I came back into control. "Gahh, that is so _weird_."

"Are you alright, Taylor?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just so weird feeling my body move and not being the one in charge. And When he said stuff in Japanese earlier! I don't think I can even make those sounds!"

"So, you don't know Japanese?"

"No, not a word. Though I think I might try learning now that I've got a dedicated tutor on hand. If nothing else it will help to pass the time here." The Doctor nodded and favored me with a small smile.

" _You know I never taught anyone anything before you, but I'm actually starting to enjoy it. Remind me to teach you cooking when we get out of here."_

" _You can cook too?"_

" _Better believe it. People loved my cooking. I always found it very relaxing."_

" _Huh, never would have guessed."_

"Well, this has been a very interesting first session. But it seems our time is about up. I look forward to speaking with you both again soon."

"Yeah, this wasn't so bad. See you next time Doctor." I waved goodbye as she left then dropped back onto my bed.

" _Well, seems like we're off to a better start here wouldn't you say, Archer?"_

" _It's a promising start. Would you like to start those Japanese lessons now or do you want to spend a bit more time online?"_

I glanced at the laptop they had provided me with before shaking my head. I hadn't learned anything useful about my case the last time I'd gone searching and I wasn't in the mood for more aimless digging right now.

" _What's the first lesson teach?"_

" _Well for starters the proper way to address a teacher is sensei."_

And so, the lesson began.

 **{}{}{}{} New York State Asylum for Parahumans gym; two weeks after arrival**

I panted heavily as I came to the end of my workout and dispersed the blunted practice blades I had traced.

" _This isn't going to work."_ I thought in Archer's direction.

" _I know they are a bit heavy, but you will get used to them in time."_

" _Not that. Well, ok that's part of it, but not exactly what I meant."_

" _I don't follow?"_

" _Your style is based on knowing where someone will attack and blocking when they take the opening. It's designed to combat highly skilled opponents with an edge in speed and strength."_

" _Correct, what's the problem."_

" _It's completely useless against most Parahumans."_

" _... Taylor, I spent years developing this style of combat. Please tell me why you are dismissing one of my life's works."_ Archers mental voice sounded much harsher than normal.

Well look at that, I'd managed to annoy him.

" _Think about it."_ I responded as I drank deeply from my water bottle. _"Most Parahumans are nothing like that. They're mostly untrained or have only minimal formal training when it comes to CQC. Blasters, Masters, Shakers, they won't close to that range if they can avoid it. Get in close and any half trained fighter can finish most of them. The Brutes, some of the Movers, and the Strikers get close, but are all people we want to stay away from because even with your fighting style we still might be outmatched."_

Archer didn't say anything.

" _It's an amazing style, Archer, but it's highly specialized and our opponents are stupidly diverse."_

" _... You may have a point. Once you can properly sympathize with a blades history that will open up more options for styles, but no sword style was ever designed for the kind of opponents we'll be facing."_

" _Yeah… I don't know, designing a whole new sword style would take ages, more than that, it'll never be the perfect style for any fight. Just a style that's ok most of the time. We need a more general approach than that."_

" _Not a sword style… a combat doctrine? A loose set of guidelines based on how the enemy fights?"_

" _Something like that, yeah. I can see getting up close and personal sometimes… but the more I think about it the surer I am that I need to learn archery. You said you're bow had a range of a mile, right?"_

" _Or more. There's this one sword that's more of a drill I've modified in the past…"_

" _Right, well if I can bullseye a moving target at even a half a mile, a lot of really dangerous fights will get a lot simpler."_

" _You know, there are a lot of weapons I was never able to make into arrows. Focusing on long range will limit your options."_

" _Only if we stop modifying new ones, and I'm not saying we should never fight up close, just that we should pick our battles carefully. And what about trace bullets? If I can use that while fighting that would help a lot against a ton of different kinds of opponents. Or if I was badly outnumbered."_

" _Well sure but that takes a lot of… I'm an idiot."_

" _What?"_

" _My style of combat is largely based around making the most of my slightly larger than average reserves. I always had to fight conservatively in case I needed to fight a long battle, or I needed energy for a particularly powerful phantasm later. You are hooked up to a magic battery with enough power to let you fight all out for_ decades, _at least_. _There's no reason to fight so conservatively."_

" _...Well. We know now. We've got space and time to train. And we've given ourselves another couple of months before we really start pushing to be let loose. Where do we start?"_

" _Thought exercises I suppose. Research a cape, or group, at random and devise the best way to counter them. Keep doing that until we start to find patterns… Then we'll just have to test them in the real world to see what works and what doesn't."_

" _This is not going to be easy, is it?"_

" _No, but I do love a challenge."_

" _Heh, well alright then. I'll finish my cool downs and we can see what PHO can tell us."_


	24. Update Notification

Well here we go again. You all like reading it and I can't deny that I love writing it. And after a bit of looking around I've come to the inescapable conclusion that it just isn't worth trying to get a better understanding of the fate universe because it's a causality clusterfuck. My limited understanding is probably enough so long as I can look up or make up Noble Phantasms. Archer has shot off in directions I never expected when I wrote the first post. Now it's something crazy and unique and I'm only just getting started. I've got ideas all the way up to post Behemoth. I honestly don't think I could pass the reins off to someone else anymore. Though I would not say no to a list of Noble Phantasms that might prove useful. The wiki is a bit of a maze.

Archer now has its own thread. Similarly, if you were previously unaware Flames moved to its own thread weeks ago.

I feel like I'm repeating old mistakes trying to juggle multiple stories, but I just have so many ideas I want to share with all of you.

One final thing before you all run off that I keep forgetting to put in my author notes. My bio has been replaced with tips for writing fanfiction. It's the summary of all the stuff I've learned the hard way since my first awful attempts that saw me virtually run off of spacebattles. If you have never tried writing before, but have always wanted too, or if your attempts so far haven't been as well received as you hoped then I hope you will take a look and find them to be helpful.

I know for a fact my writing would be much worse if not for a handful of people who have given me advice over the last few years. I'd very much like to pay that forward. If you do find my tips helpful and want to share them feel free to repost them, post your own tips, or post an edited version of mine if you think there is something that needs to be added or edited.

Thank you all for being such a wonderful audience. I absolutely love this crazy community of writers and readers.


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